This summer, we ran a small pilot project, inviting volunteers to help transcribe the diaries of Horowhenua farmer, photographer, tramper, geologist, archaeologist, ethnologist, son, brother, husband and father Leslie Adkin.

Thanks to everyone who contributed – the results have surpassed all our expectations.

Twenty volunteers have transcribed over eighteen months of hundred-year-old diaries in the last four weeks (of present-day time, that is) – and our wonderful volunteers are still transcribing more almost every day.

We especially acknowledge the support of Victoria University, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, and Te Takeretanga o Kura hau pō Horowhenua library, culture and community centre (Te Takere), in Leslie Adkin’s home town of Levin – it was great to have their local knowledge and home-team enthusiasm on board.

We’ll keep supporting our small team of current volunteers, and working to improve our online transcription interface to make the process easier and more efficient, based on their helpful feedback.   We’re quietly hoping that over the next few months, we can invite more people to join the fun.   More updates to come!

Further detail about our pilot study will be presented in poster form at Victoria University soon.  The poster has been prepared with the help of Te Papa’s Picture Library.