Join the Bible Digitisation Project. Help make Scripture accessible to more people around the world, using your time, your computer and your attention to detail. Enjoy flexible hours, volunteering from home with full training provided.
“Every person, every tribe, every nation should be able to have God’s word in their mother tongue. With MissionAssist it is so easy to be part of this vision.”
Jareike
Why volunteer as a keyboarder?
- Meaningful impact: Your contribution helps communities around the world engage with the Bible. Digital files enable audio recordings, braille copies, reprints and more translation projects.
- Serve from home: Volunteer wherever you live, on a schedule that suits you and fits in around your other commitments.
- No specialist background required: You don’t need to be a linguist or touch typist – just patient and accurate.
- Training and support provided: An expert trainer and specialist software can guide you to consistent, error‑free end-results.
- Be part of a global network: Join hundreds of volunteers supporting world mission through MissionAssist.
How does keyboarding work?
- Complete the initial training exercises to learn and practice.
- Receive your section of text by email with clear instructions.
- Type carefully from scanned pages, copying letter by letter into a digital file.
- Check and return your batch of files by email.
- Your files are reviewed against a parallel set from another keyboarder and final edits are completed by expert team members.
- Celebrate the impact as accurate digital Scripture serves translators and readers worldwide.
Tip: Like a large jigsaw puzzle, you can work in short, focused sessions and pause any time.
Is training provided?
Yes! You’ll complete initial training exercises to learn and practice, with the support of a keyboarding trainer. We’ll explain how to enter characters correctly for other languages, add text markers, maintain high accuracy and exchange files with your Team Leader.
If you really enjoy doing large jigsaw puzzles with small pieces, you are likely to have already achieved a high level of attention to detail.
What will I need?
- Attention to detail and excellent concentration – crucial when typing and checking Scripture.
- Very good understanding of English – and the ability to follow written instructions accurately.
- Suitable computer and sufficient filespace to work with project files (~1MB each).
- Reliable internet and email access for sending/receiving files.
- Commit to checking email regularly – replying to messages within a couple of days to help keep the project running smoothly.
- We recommend our Windows software for the best experience, but you can also use a standard text editor (like TextEdit on Mac) with the right settings and guidance.
Note: a smartphone or tablet is not a suitable device for keyboarding.
What is the time commitment for keyboarders?
- Some volunteers give an hour or two per week whilst others do much more.
- You decide how many hours you commit to your volunteering and set your own pace.
- There is a steady stream of more to do and you can request your next batch when you’re ready.
“I recently retired and have quite a bit of time available to serve. I saw an article in the Bible Society magazine and decided that volunteering with MissionAssist was something I really wanted to do.”
Jennifer
Keyboarding volunteer FAQs
- What is keyboarding? Typing text from images or printed pages into accurate digital files.
- Do I need to be a fast typist? No. Accuracy matters rather than speed.
- Do I need to know other languages? No. You will learn how to transcribe text in languages that you cannot read.
- What is it like to work with other languages? Take a look at our Keyboarding Taster which has some exercises you can try out.
- Is training provided? Yes. MissionAssist provides instructions, guided practice and support from an expert.
- Can I volunteer from home? Yes. You can be a remote volunteer, serving online with digital volunteering.
- How do I start? Apply online using our Volunteer form and a member of the Welcome Team will contact you.
- Do I need to become a member of MissionAssist? Yes. All volunteers agree to their contact details being recorded and also agree to keep the languages they work on confidential.
- What equipment do I need? A Windows PC or suitable computer, with storage space for the files, and reliable internet and email access.
- Can I use a standard keyboard? Yes. With training and specially designed software you can use a regular keyboard to enter, and see on your screen, the range of characters in each alphabet.
- What does WEBBS stand for? WEBBS is an acronym for Worldwide Electronic Bible and Book Service – it is a term used both inside and outside of MissionAssist.
- Is this the Bible Digitisation Project? Yes. That is another name for the same service, often used by our partners Wycliffe and Bible Society.
“I want to enable as many people as possible to access the Bible. Keyboarding is something I am able to do even though I have ill health.”
Kay