Not preserving anything. Making evidence that already exists usable
What it is not
Preservation. The documents are safe in county archives and will outlast everybody. Nothing here rescues anything from destruction.
What it is
Transcription, connection, and translation into readable English. Making a document that exists into something a person can use.
Why that matters
Because an archive nobody can read is functionally the same as no archive. The barrier is legibility rather than survival.
