Book Nerd Alert! Book Traces Website

Introducing a new blog feature called Book Nerd Alert! When we come across unusual or especially engaging news or features about books, we will post them here.

Our first Book Nerd Alert entry is about Book Traces. From their website:

"Book Traces is a collaborative web project aimed at discovering, cataloging, and preserving unique copies of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century books on library shelves. Our focus is on circulating books (not special collections) that were customized by their original owners, who left in them marginalia, annotations, inscriptions, and insertions."'

There's a lot to see on the site, so have fun scrolling around! Here is just one example:

You might also consider getting involved with the site without leaving home. Book Traces invites volunteers to help transcribe the marginalia that's been found in library books at several colleges in Book Traces' home region. Genealogy enthusiasts who have a lot of practice reading 19th-century handwriting can be especially helpful, but all are welcome to become part of this crowdsourced effort through the end of August. Click here to read more about this unique opportunity.