7 May 2021
Users of digital collections sites in Quartex can now access and explore handwritten assets further than ever before, thanks to this unique enhancement of its already ground-breaking Handwritten Text Recognition feature.
Quartex is the only digital collections platform to offer HTR Transcription which extends search beyond asset metadata and is being described as a game-changing development in the field of digital archives.
“At Quartex, we are committed to providing exceptional customer and user experiences, while staying at the forefront of technology and archive accessibility,” said Khal Rudin, Managing Director at Adam Matthew Digital.
“This exciting launch uses innovative AI technology to recognize a disparate range of characters, languages, and handwriting styles with a high degree of accuracy.”
Several institutions, including the Congregational Library & Archives (CLA), worked with the Quartex product development team to provide manuscript samples with which to test HTR Transcription and were delighted with the high quality of output and the possibilities for their manuscript collections.
Zachary Bodnar, Archivist at CLA said, “Automatic transcription, through Quartex’s HTR technology, presents us with new and exciting possibilities to increase the accessibility and reach of the CLA’s manuscript materials. 18th-century handwriting is difficult to read at the best of times, but with HTR Transcription, we have an opportunity to help break that barrier to understanding and using our resources. Further, HTR’s ability to make names that appear in text searchable will be an immense boon to genealogists, researchers, and all our users.”
HTR Transcription is expected to transform research within digitized collections around the world, with the potential to form the basis for transcription projects as well as to allow researchers to maximize their time and delve further into collections than ever before, broadening the scope and depth of their studies.
“With the launch of HTR Transcription, Quartex has become a one-stop shop for transcription services, with automatic, editable transcriptions of print and AV assets already available within the platform,” said Martin Drewe, Head of Customer Experience at Adam Matthew Digital.
“This makes Quartex a compelling choice for institutions and repositories looking to ensure optimal accessibility, both for their staff and their diverse user communities.”