TranscriboQuest - September 3, 4, 5, 2025, Lyon, France

We are pleased to announce the second edition of TranscriboQuest, an event that is both intellectually stimulating and deeply rewarding. Join us for a transcribathon combined with a training session! Organized by Biblissima+ with additional support from the ATRIUM project, this event offers a unique opportunity to work with historical sources while enhancing your skills in automatic text transcription under the guidance of expert trainers.

Event Overview: The transcribathon will span three days, comprising a mix of training sessions and hands-on transcription activities.

• Day 1: Accelerated Training on eScriptorium - Participants will kick off the event with a half-day training session focused on mastering the eScriptorium platform, a powerful tool for manuscript transcription.
• Days 2 and 3: Transcription Sessions - The bulk of the event will be dedicated to transcribing manuscripts across various languages and time periods. Teams of 4 to 5 individuals, formed based on interests and corpus preferences, will collaborate on transcribing documents ranging from medieval Latin sources to modern handwritten texts.
• Day 3: Reflection and Publication - The event will conclude with a half-day session for reflecting on the transcription process and a publication session.

Key Highlights:

• Hands-on experience with historical sources in Latin, Arabic, and Greek scripts.
• Collaboration with expert trainers to refine transcription skills.
• Opportunity to propose documents for transcription, fostering participant engagement and contribution.
• Opportunity to publish an ATR training dataset
• Access to a dedicated mailing list and Discord channel for seamless communication and support throughout the event.
• Teaching provided in English, with support in French and Spanish.

Participant Allocation and Bursaries:

• Local Participants: 10 places are allocated for local participants, which include dinner and lunch thanks to the Biblissima+ infrastructure.
• Participants working in France: 10 fully funded places are available for national participants, covering transportation, hotel accommodation, dinner, and lunch thanks to the Biblissima+ infrastructure.
• Participants working on European soil: 5 fully funded places are provided for European participants, covering all expenses, thanks to the ATRIUM project
• For participants not working on European soil: Extra-European candidates cannot receive travel reimbursements. However, they are eligible for "local" grants (excluding hotel) and national grants (including hotel). Please specify the targeted funding in the application.

Event Details:

These sessions are open to all students and research-affiliated staff, with priority given to doctoral candidates, permanent researchers and engineers . We also welcome second-year master's students and postdoctoral fellows looking to deepen their knowledge.

How to Apply: To take part in this unique transcribathon experience, check the How to Apply section, prepare your CV, fill out the application form (link available in the How to Apply section), and submit your application.

Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to delve into the world of manuscript transcription and contribute to historical scholarship!

Organisation committee: Thibault Clérice (Inria) and Ariane Pinche (CNRS)

trainers : Olivier Brisville, Thibault Clérice, Simon Gabay, Matthias Gille Levenson, Ariane Pinche, Marianne Reboul, Mathew Barber.

This training course is organized within the framework of the ÉquipEx Biblissima+, which benefits from state aid managed by the ANR under the Programme d'investissements d'avenir integrated into France 2030, bearing the reference ANR-21-ESRE-0005.