Digitizing microfilm of 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary
Only 2500 copies of the first American dictionary were ever sold. Today, may by the reprint of the facsimile edition for over $60. Our goal is to do a modern reprint for under $25 (The paperback edition may be under $15). In order to accomplish this, a full edit needs to occur. This requires a “public domain” version to be used in the new printing. Many libraries carry the microfilm of the dictionary (American Culture Series, Reel 335.6-336.1, Michigan University Microfilms); however, this microfilm needs to be digitized in PDF format. My library has the microfilm, but does not have a microfilm roll scanner.
If you would like to help, we have two ways to make this happen. One, we can find someone at a library who has the correct equipment (it takes less than two hours to scan an entire microfilm roll if done correctly). Two, we can raise money to purchase a roll scanner (~$10,000) and donate it to the university library I currently can access. A third solution may be a hybrid: if your library allows you to check it out, we could send the rolls to a scanning service (~$800).
Please share your ideas by replying to this message.
Loading ...
[...] aims of Project::NOAH begin with the 1828 dictionary. We need to get a microfilm copy digitized, so we can proceed to made a modern reprint (and aid in the redesign of free online tools). The [...]
Has there been any progress on on digitizing a public domain copy?
Is the Firefox plug in ready yet?
How about contacting one of the librarians at http://www.archive.org to help with the digitizing project?
I have just discovered that there is a digitized version of Noah Webster’s “An American Dictionary of the English Language” (1844 printing of the 1841 edition) at the site dedicated to Emily Dickinson – an advocate of Webster’s dictionary. See here:
http://edl.byu.edu/webster
This 1844 version is the last version of the dictionary by Noah Webster himself — a revised version of his 1828 version with corrections and additional words! In my view, it is a superior version to the 1828 version, and has already been digitized! I have noticed at least one mistake – inevitable in converting the dictionary to web pages (eg. the top entry under “G”, should be at the end of the word “travesty”, but this is a minor issue compared to the work already done! Amazingly, the digitizers have include the Greek and Hebrew transcriptions in the original as well!
If you are looking for scanned copies of this 1844 version (in PDF or DJVU format) online (eg. at http://www.archive.org), then beware that by that time (1840s) there were already ‘pirated’ copies by others floating around of his dictionary. These were not the version edited by Noah Webster himself. The 1841 (1844) version on the Emily Dickinson site is the authentic last version by Noah Webster, before he died in 1843.
There are some anomalies in the online dictionary – take for example the word “allspice” or “all-spice”:
a) 1828 version – does not come up after an online search search, even though the word “all-spice” (hyphenated) does exist in the original Noah Webster 1828 dictionary. Check with a ‘hard-copy’ version of the 1828 dictionary. If you don’t have one, you can download a DJVU version from http://www.archive.org/stream/americandictiona01websrich (Volume 1. Volume 2 is at http://www.archive.org/details/americandictiona02websric )
b) 1844 version – does exist as “allspice” – you can check here: http://edl.byu.edu/webster/A/92
c) 1913 version – does exist as “allspice”, and does come up after the online search.