Library partners with OpenAI to digitize historical records
The Boston Public Library is teaming up with OpenAI and Harvard Law School to digitize thousands of old government records, some dating back to the 1800s.
Right now, these archives—like oral histories and congressional reports—are only available if you visit in person, but soon you'll be able to search and read them online.
Scanning each fragile document by hand
Library staff hope to scan 5,000 documents by the end of 2025, making rare history accessible from anywhere.
It's a big task since each fragile item has to be scanned by hand.
Harvard's team is building AI tools so people can find what they need faster, while OpenAI is helping fund the project (but won't get exclusive rights).
As Greg Leppert from Harvard puts it, this partnership helps both AI research and public access—so everyone wins.