REGINA — The University of Regina’s (U of R) Dr. John Archer Library and Archives is hoping to transcribe the files of a Saskatchewan journalist's perspectives on significant historical moments.
The library holds several written pieces by Gladys Arnold, a journalist originally from Macoun who covered the Great Depression, the Spanish Civil War and World War II.
“This project is in the interest of historians and political scientists who want to learn and analyze this information,” explained Crista Bradley, university records and information management archivist.
The writings transferred to the archive by Arnold herself and her family are in cursive, which Bradley explained is hard for many people to read. In order to transcribe the files, the library and archives have enlisted worldwide help on Zooniverse, a volunteer website where people can participate in real academic and scientific research.
“Since we did a soft-launch in June, over 300 people have volunteered from not only Canada but all around the world. So we have folks from France, the U.K., and Australia who are all engaging with these materials. It's a really nice way for us to be able to get these transcribed,” said Caitlin Bakker, U of R discovery technologies librarian.
From their understanding, this has been the first time the U of R has enlisted online help to transcribe files.
A first-hand account
Bradley explained the importance of primary sources for research and history.
“To be able to provide access to these materials, to give people who are looking for different perspectives that first voice to tell stories in different ways, I think it's so fantastic.”
Those different perspectives can also help people connect with one another and provide a clearer picture of an event.
“You start to see different sides of people and events, because you're looking at them through these different lenses. So I think it just adds that rounder, fuller perspective,” noted Bakker.
While Arnold’s perspective as a journalist provides insight into these events, Bakker said her personal reflections are equally intriguing.
"There's also something very human about it. She is talking about the world around her and how it is impacting her as an individual. So I think there's something just very profound about that as well.”
One example of those emotions comes from a letter Arnold sent to her mother, who urged her to return home from France as she was the only Canadian correspondent during the outbreak of World War II.
“She said to her mom, ‘If you only knew the state of despair your letter threw me into,” said Bradly, as Arnold explained her reasoning for wanting to stick through and see how people are being impacted in the war.
Bakker said that reading her writing shows she was very empathetic and very courageous.
“She’s trying to placate her mom and friends while not stopping going into these different spaces during a war.”
Next steps
Currently, all the writings haven’t been 100 per cent translated.
Once this occurs, members of the archive plan to create a digital exhibit.
“It will have all of the digitized originals as well as the transcriptions so folks can look at both of those pieces,” said Bakker.
She added, “So researchers who want to analyze the collection as a whole can now search across all of the transcripts to see where specific names appear or how frequently certain events occur, without having to read every individual letter. It opens up many new opportunities for research.”
More information on the project can be found here.
