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Digital Scholars Spoke on New Civil War Letter Transcription Website

On October 30, Anne Flannery, ACLS Fellow and Assistant Director of Digital Initiatives and Service, and Adam Strohm, Digital Collections Librarian, of the Newberry Library and Greg Ruth, Loyola PhD candidate and intern on the project, will talk about “The Civil War in Letters” a transcription project that uses Civil War soldiers’ letters held in the Newberry Library’s Modern Manuscript Collection to understand the history of America’s bloodiest conflict.  By crowd sourcing the transcription of these letters, they hope to promote collaboration with readers and volunteers from all over the world.  The seminar will take place at 12:30 pm in Life Sciences Building 312. 

This site provides access to the personal narratives of some Civil War soldiers who claimed Illinois as their home—and indirectly those of their families—on a scale that is not possible in a traditional archive. The site’s searchable transcription feature also allows readers to uncover common themes, conflicts, and emotions that exist across these narratives as a collection.

The site is being launched in conjunction with the fall 2013 exhibition, Home Front: Daily Life in the Civil War North (September 27, 2013 – March 24, 2014).

Anne, Adam, and Greg will speak not only to the way this digital project came together, but also reflect upon the challenges and opportunities of a major crowd sourcing project.

Sponsored by the History Department and the Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities.