The National and University Library in Ljubljana has invited all enthusiasts of poetry, cultural heritage, and digital technology to participate in the citizen science volunteer project From Manuscript to Word. The work of volunteers will significantly improve access to the manuscript poems of Srečko Kosovel, which are currently available in the Digital Library of Slovenia without machine-readable text (txt format). Optical character recognition (OCR) has already been performed using the artificial intelligence tool Transkribus. However, due to the errors and inaccuracies that occur in the process, volunteers are reviewing the recognized lines and carefully correcting them. Together, they are improving the readability, searchability, and accessibility of Kosovel’s manuscripts in the Digital Library of Slovenia.

The project is being carried out in light of the year 2026, which the Government of the Republic of Slovenia has declared the Year of Srečko Kosovel to mark the 100th anniversary of the poet’s death. With this effort, volunteers are supporting researchers, teachers, students, and poetry lovers in working with manuscript material, while also actively contributing to the preservation and co-creation of Slovenian cultural and digital heritage.

Currently, 81 volunteers are participating in the project, and 1,044 transcriptions are awaiting review.

All information about the project is available on the Digital Library of Slovenia website (in Slovenian).