Making History More Accessible, One Transcriber at a Time

Hey history lovers -- if you don't think this is the coolest thing since the invention of history, then maybe you aren't a bonafide history nerd. A new project by the Library of Virginia just launched -- it's called Making History: Transcribe, and it's the simplest idea ever - one that I'm sure Kat Potente of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore would be proud of/have already implemented.

Transcribing historical documents is HUGELY TIME CONSUMING. So what makes it go faster? Lots of people working on it together, and sharing the workload. That's what Making History: Transcribe does. The Library of Virginia has digitized documents with high quality scanners and posted them on their website, which allows users (anybody!) to transcribe them, without even needing to make an account. After you submit your work, it gets reviewed by staff members.

To make it easy on transcribers, it gives a few simple directions. The documents can be zoomed in, out, and turned around to make it easy to read. There are instructions about how to transcribe illegible or guessed-at words, and if you've got a lot of questions about reading old documents, then you can get information on writing styles, abbreviations, and transcription tips!

If you find yourself liking this, you can make an account (and of course, I did). This way, if you find yourself doing this a lot, you can come back to the same documents over and over again easily.

After you've clicked on the document that you want to work on, here's what it looks like:

Sure, I can definitely see some potential issues - you'll get people who are terrible transcribers, you might get people who want to be funny by writing up false reports, etc. But transcriptions are checked by staff members who will review the work and make sure it's accurate, and if things start becoming an issue, then I'm sure making an account will become mandatory.

Explore the site here: http://www.virginiamemory.com/transcribe/

Here's Library of Virginia's blog post about it!   http://www.virginiamemory.com/blogs/out_of_the_box/2014/08/19/come-on-make-some-history/ 

Awesome Alert: Bent Objects

Here's something you shouldn't miss-- I found it through StumbleUpon.com (a website that randomly selects great sites you might like based on your selected preferences). I find so many great things this way, but this has got to be one of the best.

First, this man, Terry Border, is hilarious and innovative, and I love him.  
This website is a great way to see all the kinds of stuff he can do.

Some of my favorites? (they are better with the captions from the original page, but this short preview will hopefully convince to visit it)

 

Second, he has a blog (thanks for finding this, Brandon!):
 http://bentobjects.blogspot.com/

 Third, he made this hilarious video:

Deemed Appropriate

A preteen boy asked me today for the first of the Twilight books by Stephanie Meyer. He's already seen the first two movies, and his mom won't let him see the third.  His mom was pretty concerned about him reading this series, and questioned me about it's "appropriateness". Appropriate means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.  I've seen moms that are ultra-protective over what their kids read, and some who let their kids pick without thinking much about it.

When a patron asks us as librarians "Is this book appropriate for my kid?", how are we supposed to answer? 

Here's the thing... parents are really the only ones who can say what is or isn't appropriate for their sons and daughters to read. Librarians can't do that for you. If you ask us our opinion, then we can give that-- but just know that it doesn't mean that you'll think it's appropriate for him/her.  

After this incident, a woman came into the library complaining about the overly-violent and sexual nature of some of the graphic novels from the teen section. She only noticed this once she had taken them home and looked through them that they were inappropriate for her son to read. She asked "Why would you let someone his age check them out? I thought it would be safe to let him take out stuff from the library." She proceeded to fill out forms asking the library to reconsider these items for our collection (read: she wants them withdrawn or moved to the adult section).


Some things to note for library users: librarians aren't there to monitor what you or your kids read. Any of you. The only materials we'll tell you you can't have are the ones that don't circulate, like reference books. But this also means that if your 5th grader decides to check out a book on how to make beer at home, we're not going to stop him. Minors need a parent's signature on their library card application, and after that, all the content checked out on their card becomes the responsibility of the parent and the minor. 


So how do you know whether or not materials are suitable for your kid (based on your own judgments)?  


First of all, monitor what your kids are selecting before letting them check out if you are concerned.


Second, there are plenty of websites out there that rate books and other materials to determine appropriateness. One example is Common Sense Media, a website that lets people (parents, kids, etc.) rate all sorts of materials -- books, video games, movies, etc. The site lists the age people have stated the material is most suited for, and rates it on key things like: 

• educational value
• positive message
• positive role models
• violence
• sex
• language
• consumerism
• and drinking, drugs, and smoking

It lets you search by title, author, etc. and you can also browse books or other content based on the age level you are looking for. It's a great way for parents to monitor what their kids are reading, and offer suggestions for appropriate materials to them. 


That said, I am a firm believer in the freedom to read -- and the freedom to choose what you want to read. If you don't like something in the library, then don't read it. But don't try to take away someone else's choice to read it.