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Progress update, 2 to 8 August 2014

By Tim Causer, on 8 August 2014

Welcome along to the progress update for the period 2 to 8 August 2014, during which time further tremendous progress has been made by Transcribe Bentham volunteers.

10,312 manuscripts have now been transcribed or partially-transcribed, which is an increase of 117 on this time last week. Of these transcripts, 9,449 (92%) have been checked and subsequently approved by TB staff.

The more detailed state of progress is as follows:

Box No. of manuscripts worked on No. of manuscripts in box Completion
Box 1 183 794 23%
Box 2 465 753 61%
Box 5 172 290 59%
Box 15 62 914 7%
Box 18 2 192 1%
Box 27 350 350 100%
Box 29 16 122 13%
Box 30 0 193 0%
Box 31 14 302 4%
Box 34 34 398 8%
Box 35 286 439 65%
Box 36 28 418 6%
Box 37 23 487 4%
Box 38 53 424 12%
Box 39 8 282 2%
Box 41 80 528 13%
Box 42 71 910 7%
Box 44 52 201 25%
Box 50 159 198 79%
Box 51 373 940 39%
Box 57 16 420 3%
Box 62 55 565 9%
Box 63 11 345 3%
Box 70 298 350 85%
Box 71 663 663 100%
Box 72 613 664 92%
Box 73 151 151 100%
Box 79 199 199 100%
Box 95 123 147 83%
Box 96 534 539 99%
Box 97 115 296 38%
Box 98 219 499 43%
Box 100 190 422 42%
Box 107 497 538 92%
Box 115 276 307 89%
Box 116 499 864 57%
Box 117 345 853 40%
Box 118 225 880 25%
Box 119 366 990 36%
Box 120 0 686 0%
Box 121 130 526 23%
Box 122 296 717 40%
Box 123 0 443 0%
Box 139 40 40 100%
Box 150 205 972 21%
Box 169 180 728 24%
Add MSS 537 638 744 85%
Add MSS 538 451 858 52%
Add MSS 539 403 948 42%
Add MSS 541 143 1258 11%
Overall 10,312 26,747 39%

Box 537 – the first batch of British Library manuscripts – is now 85% complete, and we look forward to being able to add the images and transcripts to the digital repository in due course.

This week, two new boxes of material were added, both pertaining to Bentham’s panopticon prison scheme. Box 120 contains unpublished polemics dating from 1802 directed at the British government, for what Bentham regarded as their treachery in abandoning the plan and humiliating him. This is Bentham at his angry best, and these manuscripts are rather entertaining. Manuscripts from Box 123 largely relate to the Penitentiary Act of 1794, and Bentham’s attempts to alter it in the vain attempt to purchase land at Tothill Fields upon which the prison could be built. Many thanks to our colleagues at UCL Creative Media Services for capturing the images, and at the University of London Computer Centre for getting them uploaded.

Speaking of ULCC, this week we said farewell to our friend and TB colleague, Richard Davis, Head of the Academic and Research Technologies group at ULCC. Richard has been a key member of the TB team from the very beginning, and was instrumental in the design and production of the Transcription Desk, and the ongoing success of the initiative. We would like to thank Richard for all his work on TB – we (quite literally) couldn’t have done it without him. Richard leaves to take up a new position next month managing the digital archives and collections at Liverpool John Moores University, and we wish him nothing but the best.

Thank you, as always, to everyone who has contributed to TB during the last week. It is as greatly appreciated as always.

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