Your town’s handwriting, finally searchable.
For historical societies and town libraries. We type up the letters, diaries and minute books your society already holds, check every name by hand, and give you a search box anyone can use.
Get a free 20-page sample · Search a real 1849 journal
How it works
- You point us to a volume. Send a link to pages you’ve already photographed. We never need the originals.
- We read every page. Our system reads the handwriting and types every word, keeping the writer’s own spelling. A 400-page book takes days, not months.
- A person checks the names. Names, dates and places are checked by hand against the page.
- You get a search box. Your volume goes online with its own page, a name index and a search box.
The test
On 50 pages of an 1849 journal at the Library of Congress, tested blind against the transcription made by volunteers of the Library of Congress By the People programme: 98.9% of characters and 95.7% of words were the same, and 81% of names were spelled the same, before our human name check.
Fees
- Founding rate, first 20 societies: $1.50 a page, $449 minimum.
- Standard rate: $2.50 a page, $500 minimum.
- Keeping it online: $75 a month. Cancel any time and keep your files.
- A person typing old handwriting typically charges $3 to $10 a page.
Questions from the board
Do our original books have to leave the building?
No. We work from photographs. If your pages aren’t photographed yet, we arrange scanning nearby or send clear instructions for your volunteers.
How accurate is it?
In a blind test on 50 pages of an 1849 journal at the Library of Congress, 98.9% of characters and 95.7% of words matched the volunteers’ transcript, before any human check. On top of that, a person checks every name, date and place, because that is what people search for.
Do you correct the spelling?
Never. Old records are full of creative spelling and that is part of the record. We type exactly what was written.
Who owns the transcription?
You do. It is your record. You can download everything at any time and use it however you like, with or without us.
What does the board need to approve?
One fixed price per volume, agreed before we start. At the founding rate a typical 400-page minute book is $600, and you pay once it’s delivered and you’re happy with it.
What’s the founding rate?
Our first 20 societies pay $1.50 a page instead of $2.50 for every volume they send in their first year. Same work, same checks.
Contact
hello@legiblearchives.com