National Court Reporters Association celebrates 10 years of transcribing veterans’ histories
Court reporters have often been referred to as the "guardians of the record." While their role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the federal and state judicial systems is widely known, these professionals also contribute to our collective culture in many ways.
For instance, court reporters are often asked to provide real-time captioning services at major public events, such as the World Series and Super Bowl. Today, the industry is working to help transcribe veterans' oral histories in order to preserve their experiences and accrued wisdom for future generations.
In fact, during 2013, the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its official partnership with the Library of Congress's Veterans' History Project (VPH). In recognition of the milestone, the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), which administers the NCRF, put out a press release on April 25 to encourage broader participation in the program.
According to the organization, more than 2,875 veterans' stories have been transcribed through the VPH so far. However, the NCRF is hoping to get that number up to 3,000 by the end of May in recognition of Memorial Day. To that end, the organization is encouraging registered court reporters to interview any wartime veterans they know and transcribe their stories for inclusion in the VPH archives.
The NCRA has asserted that this type of project offers "a great way to 'do good' while raising the stature of the profession to the general public."
Wisconsin court reporters who are interested in participating in this meaningful project can contact Beth Kilker, the NCRF's oral histories project coordinator, to receive more information.
Registered court reporters can earn professional development credits at no cost through the program, while current students are eligible to receive a free membership in the NCRA.
