American Archives Month Transcribe-a-thon

Hosted by the UNO Criss Library Archives and Special Collections department in collaboration with the UNO Department of History, this workshop will provide an introduction to transcription and offer opportunities for participants to transcribe archival materials. By using items from the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Papers, the session will introduce participants to the ways in which everyday documents—letters, petitions, and civic records—offer insight into the political, social, and economic context of World War II and later. Brief demonstrations and commentary from facilitators will frame transcription as both a scholarly skill and a means of civic engagement, inviting discussion about the accessibility of historical records, the preservation of marginalized voices, and the role of public participation in constructing historical memory.

Participants will transcribe materials from the UNO Criss Library Archives and Special Collections Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Papers. Shirley and Leonard were married during World War II and the collection holds their extensive correspondence. These correspondences are mainly letters Leonard sent to Shirley when he was in training and while stationed overseas. Other important materials include Shirley and Leonard Goldstein’s work as activists on behalf of Jewish people of the Soviet Union, known as Refuseniks.

The event space has desktop computers, so participants are welcome to use them or bring their own devices. Light refreshments will be provided. Register for this event.

This is Transcribe-athon is part of the UNO Criss Library Archives and Special Collections programming for American Archives Month, celebrated in October in the United States.