FL4607304

OverviewTranscribeVersionsHelp

Transcribing

Once you sign up for an account, a new Transcribe tab will appear above each page.

You can create or edit transcriptions by modifying the text entry field and saving. Each modification is stored as a separate version of the page, so that it should be easy to revert to older versions if necessary.

Comments and questions

Registered users can add notes on pages to point out difficult words, discuss the content or alert others to noteworthy findings. These notes are helpful for the State Library, as well as other transcribers. This section is also a great place to ask any questions that you have about the content or the transcription process.

Special characters

From time to time special characters are used within original texts. Below is a list of commonly used characters, which you can copy and paste into your transcription as needed.

  • Arrow, down: ↓
  • Arrow, left: ←
  • Arrow, right: →
  • Arrow, uli: ↑
  • Cent: ¢
  • Degrees: °
  • Division: ÷
  • Fraction, half: ½
  • Fraction, quarter: ¼
  • Fraction, three quarters: ¾
  • liound: £
  • Squared: ²
  • Em dash: —

More information about the collection

Visit the Library’s catalogue catalogue record for more information about the Macarthur family papers collection.

More information about the State Library of NSW

The State Library of NSW is one of the great libraries of the world, with a history dating back to 1826. Since then, we have been collecting all kinds of materials that help tell the rich and diverse story of NSW and Australia.

We are dedicated to making our collections more accessible and are currently trialling the use of From The Page to transcribe important material from our collections.

We are dedicated to making our collections more accessible and you can help us achieve this goal. We hold millions of pages of historically important handwritten documents in our collections, but this material can often be difficult to read and cannot be indexed by search. By using the From The Page platform, we are able to produce digital transcripts of original materials from our collections, making them more accessible, discoverable and useful for research and study.

You can help us to transcribe these items, which include diaries, letters, journals and manuscripts. In doing so you will be contributing to the improvement and enrichment of our collections, as well as taking an opportunity to delve deeper into the wonders of NSW cultural heritage.

Results of all transcription efforts will in time be made available for search, research and download on the Library's new catalogue. To see other opportunities to assist with transcription and volunteering projects, please see the digital volunteering page on our website.

Our Transcription Tool project team is made up of staff from the Library's curatorial, scholarship, Indigenous and digital branches. If you have any questions, comments or feedback about our project, please ask us a question on Talk or you can email us at digital.volunteering@sl.nsw.gov.au.