St. Joseph Orphan Asylum
Orphan Records Transcription Project

Feb 2006 Update:  We are about halfway through the records; transcribing them into an Excel Spreadsheet that volunteer Mary Schmerts made for us.

If you'd like to help finish the project, and have Microsoft Excel, please review the following information to first confirm that you are able - then to learn more about how it goes.

1. Be sure the entry form works in your version of Excel: 

a. Enable Macros:  Open Excel in your computer. Go to Tools > Macro > Security and be sure that Medium is checked.

b. Click this link (the Entry Form), choose SAVE, and save it to your computer: http://catholicrecordsociety.org/projects/stjosephorphanasylum/entryform.xls

c. Open the entry form.  You should get a dialog box about Enabling Macros.  Choose "Enable Macros".

Note the bottom of the spreadsheet.  You should see that it has 3 tabs: Card, Spreadsheet and Housekeeping. If you do not see the Housekeeping sheet, go to Format > Sheet > Unhide. Choose "Housekeeping" and click OK. All three sheets must show for the entry method to work right. Never change anything on the Housekeeping sheet.

Now save the file to be sure the Housekeeping sheet stays Unhidden.

d. Now click the Card Tab to view the instructions of the form.

e. Check out the Entry Standards and enter some information in a few fields.

f. Press CONTROL-K (hold down on CONTROL then tap K) - then click on the Spreadsheet Tab to be sure it took.

If all of the above went without a hitch, then your version of Excel will work!  Yay!!

2. Get a feel for what you're looking at:

Many of the photographs are of 4 cards, arranged like this:

Here is a sample to save to your computer:
http://www.catholicrecordsociety.org/projects/stjosephorphanasylum/records/amann-bingham/10.jpg

There are a variety of ways you can manipulate and print cards from these 4-card images, but frankly I found it just as easy to enlarge the image then scroll it so that one of them is centered on my screen - and "bounce back and forth" between the image and the Excel form. Yes, sort of a pain in the rump, but you'll be happy to know that about halfway through the photographing, I switched to photographing them one at a time.

Some cards have info typed on the rear. When I found this to be the case, I photographed the front by itself, with the rear immediately following.

Also, fyi, some cards are info typed on blank cards. All of them that I've looked at so far are name variants of orphans who otherwise have a "regular" card typed out, and include the statement "Do not count in any enumeration".

In short, we'll add the variant name after the name on the "regular" card, as in SMITH-SMYTHE, and in the Volunteer's Notes field enter "Variant Card:" followed by all that's on it.

a. In most cases these "variant name cards" are very near the "regular" card, so therefore in the same group of images that you are working. In this case you'll be able to enter the info right then.

b. In some cases the variant card will not be near the regular one. In this case, just tell me of them when you return your transcriptions if there were any like this. I'll keep a list of these and enter them later.

So because of #s 2 & 3 you should review your group of images in thumbnail view so you'll know in advance when there's a 2nd image (back of card or name variant card) that has info that should be entered with the regular card.

If the testing went without a hitch, and you understand all of the above and still want to help, Thank you!. and he'll be thrilled to send you a group of cards. 

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