Have a question? Need assistance? Use our online form to ask a librarian for help.
Participate in indexing and transcription projects to give back to your community. Indexing is making documents findable to the average searcher by typing information from the documents into a form that will alphabetize and organize the information. This is free, but you must create an account for yourself, watch a training video, and then select your project. Where personal accounts are required, you might want to ask your parent for permission, or work together with an adult on these projects. You can do as little or as much as you choose.
Transcription projects are made available from many cultural or historical organizations. You can help make historic documents searchable by reading and typing them into a form. Sign up to help others save and study important history. You can help record a cemetery near you by photographing and transcribing the headstones. We've included some sources below.
Genealogists sometimes are unable to make images of historic documents. This is when it is important to make an accurate transcription or abstract of the document.
You may want to spend some time learning to read and write like your ancestors. These books are a sample of the kinds of books you can find in the Library of Congress collections. Your local librarian can help you find these and more.
The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.
The Lost Art of Handwriting by 
Reading Early American Handwriting by Historical institutions across the country share their collections by asking for volunteers to transcribe and index them. Often you can participate in these projects without leaving your home. You may need an adult to help you set up a personal account.
