Aalst (Eurotoday): Aalst seeks volunteers to index over 42,000 scanned city council reports, enhancing public access to historical records. No experience is required, approximately 50 volunteers have joined the effort.
The city of Aalst has a large collection of over 42,000 scanned reports from city council and board of aldermen meetings, including records from smaller areas. These documents contain historical information about the city’s decisions and policies. To make this information more accessible, Aalst plans to put these scans online. However, they need to create a detailed index with keywords to help people easily find specific topics, events, or decisions within the reports.
How can people help Aalst index 42,000 historical city council reports?
To create the index, the city is looking for volunteers to help review the scanned reports. This effort will help develop a useful search tool for researchers, historians, and the public. It has been said that by volunteering, people can help preserve Aalst’s history and make it easier for future generations to access it. This project offers an opportunity for anyone interested in local history or government records to make a positive impact.
The city says that no experience is needed, just a passion for history, as they seek volunteers to help with documents from the 18th century in French and Dutch. Volunteers will only need to note details like the language, document type, meeting date, and agenda titles, making it easier to find specific meetings. This allows people to access reports from home without damaging the original documents. So far, about 50 volunteers have signed up to help with this work through a crowdsourcing website, choosing their hours.
Comments
One response to “Aalst Calls for Volunteers to Help Index 42,000 Historical City Council Reports”
-
Oh great, because who wouldn’t want to spend their weekends hunched over 18th-century documents, channeling their inner historian? 🤔 Just what the world needs—more volunteers indexing historical reports instead of living their lives! 🥱
Last News
Detained Mayor Intensifies Effort for Release from "Pre-Trial Detention"
Erion Veliaj has been held in what is termed “pre-trial detention” (PTD) since February 2025, pending an investigation by Albanian prosecutors.
His trial is yet to start and he robustly denies any wrongdoing but he continues to be held in a detention centre in Albania.
His l
International Scrutiny on Denmark’s Anti-Racism Plan: Insights from the UPR
In February 2025, Denmark introduced its first National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR), acknowledging a long-standing issue identified by human rights monitors. However, six months later, during the 52nd session of the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group in Geneva, the adequacy of the plan was questioned. Forty-four of the eighty-seven participating states expressed concerns abo
Labour Officials ‘Backing Away’ from Blocking Andy Burnham’s Return
Contempt Ruling Against Evo Morales Triggers Political Crisis in Bolivia 2026
Judicial authorities formally declared Morales in contempt following his absence, escalating political tensions across Bolivia and reigniting
Sudanese Victims Submit Sanctions Request to European Union’s High Representative
Latvian Defense Minister Resigns Amid Leadership Changes on NATO’s Eastern Flank
Andris Sprūds, an a
Ukraine’s Sense Bank scandal tests faith in wartime anti-corruption efforts
Ukraine’s anti-corruption drive has been rocked by allegations that a state-owned bank seized from sanctioned Russian owners was captured by a politically connected influence network tied to one of the country’s largest corruption investigations. The affair has also fuelled concerns that the bank could be used to launder money.
The claims centre on Sense Bank, formerly Alfa-Bank Ukraine, which w
Redesigning the Financial System for Growth
One year after launching the Leeds Reforms and Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Plan, the progress in transforming the UK’s financial system to spur growth is evaluated. Key figures from Westminster, financial regulators, and the financial services industry gather to discuss the Government’s financial services agenda and its impact on economic growth prospects.
Focus
US Trade Crisis Worsens: Container Imports Drop in 2026
T
URI Europe Regional Assembly, "Sacred Earth, Shared Humanity" and the Presentation of the PARTESS-COM Project
From April 29 to May 3, 2026, the URI Europe Regional Assembly, themed “Sacred Earth, Shared Humanity: URI Europe Responses to Violence and Harm,” took place at the Martí Codolar Centre in Barcelona. Cooperation Circles of the United Religions Initiative (URI) gathered to reconnect, share experiences, celebrate diversity, and develop joint actions for the future. The Assembly incl
Leave a Reply