Thank you for your desire to help with this project.  Here is a list of suggestions of things that need to be done.

Remember, you don't have to do an entire document project by yourself; even typing a few pages is a big help.

Please let us know what document you want to work on.
 
 

What we need most right now are document listings for our new web page, http://culinaryhistory.org  Send us the information and we will enter it in our tables.  Click here for details.

• Mr. G. needs help listing the bibliographic data for the German culinary texts on this page.  We only need works dating up to year 1700, so ignore anything more recent than that.
• Or you could catalog the Dutch listings on this page.
• C.R. needs help listing the bibliographic data for the French titles on this page. We only need works dating up to year 1700, so ignore anything more recent than that.
• G.L. needs help listing the bibliographic data for the Latin titles on this page.

 
• Locate a source for a text that has not yet been copied. This usually requires access to catalogs like WorldCat, or to a good library. Check our lists to make sure no one else is already working on this document.

• Get a copy of the text. This often requires access to a good university library, or an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) staff willing to help you.
• Figure out if the source is "clean" from a copyright point of view. We are interested in the copyright status of both a facsimile of the document itself, and the copyright status of any transcriptions of the document. Ask us if you need help with this.  In general:
• A modern transcription of an old work is NOT O.K.
• A recently published book containing transcriptions, translations, and/or commentary is NOT O.K.
• An unaltered facsimile reprint of an 18th century transcription may be O.K, but ask for permission from the publisher first.  Ask us before contacting the E.E.T.S.
• An original copy of an 18th or 19th century transcription is out of copyright, but nevertheless, ask the library for permission before scanning. The original may be in poor condition, and the library may have the document available on microfilm.  If the library denies you permission, thank them nicely and seek out another source. Note that many libraries are more willing to grant you permission to transcribe a work than to copy the work.
• Original copies of medieval manuscripts and books are rare and are generally kept locked in Special Collections. Scanning these fragile originals requires special handling by trained professionals. Microfilms, or prints made from microfilms, may be available. Libraries might consider their microfilms to be under copyright -- you must ask for permission from the host library to post images made from them. Ask us for assistance with this.

• Photocopy the source text. It is much easier to scan from photocopies than to wrestle the book onto a scanner.
• Scan the source at 300 dpi, and save each page as a .gif file. Number the files sequentially.
• Transcribe the source. You may use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) if it works, otherwise type it by hand. You don't need to know the language to type. Be sure to include all bibliographic information.
• Proofread your transcription; ask 2 other people to proofread it too. You don't need to know the language to proofread. Remember, accuracy is essential, including copying what you consider to be mistakes in the original. If you do find mistakes, please keep a list of them, and we'll have someone who does know the language take a look at them. Once your text has been proofread, we'll put it online.
• Make a list of some source materials such as original manuscripts, 19th century transcriptions, modern derivative works, dissertations, etc. Include bibliographic information for each title.

• Locate vendors for reprints and facsimiles. If they are online, give us their web address. Include their catalog numbers.

Intermediate:

• Make webpages.
• Mark up text.
• Write a biographical paragraph about Samuel Pegge, Gervase Markham, Sir Kenelme Digby, etc.

Advanced:

• Translate the source text into Modern English.
• Gloss the source text.
• Include new spellings in the equivalence sets.
• Research detailed bibliographic information for a source text.

Email: info@culinaryhistory.org

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