#DigIntoDyar Transcription Event

Harrison Gray Dyar, Jr. was a Smithsonian entomologist with a fascinating life. On May 13th, the Smithsonian Institution Archives will upload five volumes of Dyar’s “blue books” (notebooks in which he jotted down scientific observations) to the Smithsonian Transcription Center. Volunteers are encouraged to dive into the books and help us transcribe Dyar’s work for future study.

From May 13th-20th, we’ll be encouraging everyone to #DigIntoDyar with a series of blog posts (blog.library.si.edu) about Dyar’s work as well as a live Google Hangout on May 17th. Both will feature National Museum of Natural History research associate and Dyar biographer, Marc Epstein. Marc, who recently published Moths, Myths and Mosquitos:The Eccentric Life of Harrison G. Dyar, Jr., will help us understand Dyar’s work, his sordid personal life, and his legacy. Along the way, we’ll be sharing other tidbits and images via social media. We hope you’ll tune in as we #DigIntoDyar and learn more about this fascinating part of Smithsonian history.

For the live broadcast, tune in to the Google Hangout here on Tuesday, May 17th at 2:30, EST.

Read more about the transcription event and Dyar's life and work on our blog.