From Transcription to Engagement: Empowering Volunteer Communities in Cultural Heritage Work

At Museum Plantin-Moretus in Antwerp, 40 volunteers are more than just correction machines — they are co-creators of cultural heritage. This talk shares the strategies behind a thriving volunteer community built around Transkribus: how to recruit, train, and retain engaged participants, how to foster knowledge exchange, and why thoughtful community design matters as much as the technology itself.