Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary Project

by Elora Hayes

I was a volunteer on the project last semester, so I believe I wrote a reflection on the project before.

I worked primarily on proofreading since I am a volunteer and typically don’t have a huge workload. I really enjoy proofreading anyways so this was a good way for me to learn and practice those skills. We were originally only editing the 1773 edition, but part way through the semester we began proofreading both 1773 and 1755 editions.

The work benefitted me because it aligns with my degree (English) and helped a lot with my History of the English Language class and research. At certain times I knew where to look for my research or how to translate an old letter because of the tools learned in this project.

I think it is worthwhile to work on this project just to simply feel part of something. I physically cannot make it to campus because of how far I live, and so my entire college experience at UCF has been through a screen. Working on this dictionary project gave me a good sense of community and connection to my peers pursuing a degree in the same field.