The call for the implementation of the OCR-D software for the full text digitisation of historical prints is now available on the website of the German Research Association (DFG).

The aim of the OCR-D coordination project, which was launched in autumn 2015, is to describe procedures and develop guidelines in order to achieve an optimal workflow and the greatest possible standardisation of OCR-related processes and metadata. Furthermore, the complete transformation of the written German cultural heritage into a machine-readable form (structured full text) is to be prepared conceptually. Primarily, works from the Union Catalogue of Books Printed in German Speaking Countries in the 16th-18th century (VD) as well as books published in the 19th century in the German language area will be considered. The VD projects comprise about 1 million titles that are currently being digitized and are to be processed by means of OCR in the future.

The work done so far in the OCR-D initiative has led to significant improvements in the optical character and layout recognition of historical prints. The Software prototype promises flexible integration into existing (librarian) workflow and digitisation systems due to its modular design. The implementation of the OCR-D software in libraries, archives and other collection holding institutions is the next necessary step to ensure that high-quality full texts can be produced.

The central goal of the new call is the development of (generic) implementation packages with acceptable performance for different requirements. It is primarily aimed at collection holding institutions, the application is due on October 7, 2020. The DFG expects applicants to hand in a letter of intent by May 5 22. If you are interested in participating, please don’t hesitate to contact us.