This Valentine's Day, February 14, the Newton Free Library and FORJ Newton invite you to celebrate the birthday of Frederick Douglass and explore African American history. Although Douglass never knew his birthdate, he chose to celebrate every year on February 14.

FORJ and the Library are commemorating this day with a transcribe-a-thon, where community members come together to transcribe historical materials that document Black history. Transcribing these documents makes them easier for historians, researchers, and students to read and gives everyone more resources to learn about Black history.

This event is part of Douglass Day, a collaborative program in partnership with the Library of Congress and their By the People crowdsourcing project. Visit the Library's computer lab anytime between 12-3pm on February 14 to celebrate African American history and help transcribe historical documents from the Library of Congress collection. During the event, they'll tune into the national Douglass Day broadcast, which features speakers, readings, and instructions on how to transcribe archival materials. No knowledge of archives or transcribing experience is required - everyone is welcome!