Join Us at the “Bomb” Transcribe-a-thon!

In 2016, the Iowa State University Library completed a six-year project to digitize an entire run of the campus yearbook, the Bomb. Comprised of nearly 45,000 pages, the digital versions are not easily searchable due to the wide variety of fonts and graphic elements used throughout the decades. Just look at the text from one page of the 1911 Bomb. The font and layout are unique, making the automated transcription process nearly impossible.

With that in mind, in its inaugural “Unsolved Histories” Project the Iowa State Digital Initiatives Unit has launched a crowd sourcing transcription project entitled, “Transcribe the Bomb.” It is our hope that by transcribing these yearbooks a wider audience can explore and find memories of themselves, their families and friends, favorite campus moments, and world events through the Iowa State University lens. Transcribing takes place online, found here:

https://yearbook.lib.iastate.edu/

You can try your hand at transcribing ISU yearbooks at the “Bomb” Transcribe-a-thon on Wednesday, October 25th, noon- 4:00 p.m. in Room 134. University Archivist, Brad Kunnen, will speak on the history of the yearbook and its importance as a historical record.

Come learn about the Bomb and how to transcribe its content. A quick tutorial is all it takes to get started! The event is free and open to the public, including beginners, and will provide a fun opportunity to learn about ISU history.

Participants may come and go at any time during the afternoon. Sponsored by the University Library Digital Scholarship and Initiatives department.

Event Details:

The Bomb Transcribe-a-thon, Wednesday October 25th, Noon- 4:00 p.m.

Room 134, Parks Library

Transcribe-a-thon Event Details