Can you read cursive? If so, the National Archives could use your expertise.
As fewer people are taught the skill, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is facing a growing challenge: millions of handwritten historical documents -- many in cursive -- are in danger of remaining inaccessible. But you can help.
NARA is calling on volunteers to help transcribe more than 200 years worth of digitized documents. With cursive handwriting becoming less common in today's digital age, the need for volunteers with the ability to decipher and transcribe these materials has never been greater.
Through its Citizen Archivist Program, NARA offers people the opportunity to help turn valuable historical materials -- including personal letters, military records and government documents -- into searchable text in the Archives' extensive online catalog.
Citizen Archivists contribute to records by tagging them, making comments or transcribing documents to make searching easier. The Citizen Archivist team prepares "missions" for volunteers to work on, focusing the momentum on particular groups of records at one time.
By joining this initiative, volunteers not only aid in the preservation of history but also help open up a treasure trove of information that might otherwise remain hidden.
"The added benefit is that we're unlocking the sometimes difficult to read text for all to understand. By adding this metadata to our Catalog, it also becomes searchable in Google or other search engines, which helps to make our records more discoverable online. We like to say that as we tag and transcribe, we are unlocking history," NARA says on its website.
Being part of the effort couldn't be easier. Whether you're a history buff, a lover of old handwriting, or just someone looking to make a meaningful contribution -- anyone can join. There's no application process or requirements. Citizen Archivists simply register for a free user account, pick a record that hasn't been reviewed and follow the instructions.
The program is open to anyone in the world -- even if you reside outside of the United States -- all you need is an internet connection. How much you contribute is entirely up to you. There are no assignments, obligations or deadlines, so you can work at your own pace. Whether it's 30 minutes a day or an hour over the week, any contribution is appreciated.