This online resource for family history has launched the World Archives Project. The aim is to digitally preserve historical records spread across the world. The records are digitized and made available online.
The Project allows individuals to transcribe historical documents from their home computer. Using a free transcription program, contributors select from the many historical record collections that Ancestry.com has digitized – from naturalization records to ship manifests to marriage records, and type in the information from the scanned image.
All of the online indexes that are transcribed as part of the World Archives Project are easily searchable and available for free on Ancestry.com.
“The contributors who donate their time play a critical role in preserving these important stories by helping us publish more historical content online, extending the opportunity for others to explore their family history,” says Tim Sullivan, CEO of The Generations Network, parent company of Ancestry.com.
Since the project’s beta launch in June 2008, more than 11,000 contributors have collectively put in more than 200,000 indexing hours and have helped digitally preserve 6 million records, says Ancestry.
