Gaste Arşivi

Gaste Arşivi (www.gastearsivi.com), launched in August 2020, is a digital archive focused on preserving and making accessible Ottoman-era publications. Currently boasting 70 members, with 35 actively supporting the project through Patreon, Gaste Arşivi has already achieved a significant milestone, generating enough revenue to cover site maintenance costs. The project leverages Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to digitize and transcribe these historical documents, making them searchable and readable. Future development, dependent on increased Patreon support, includes improving OCR accuracy and the website's search functionality, allowing for a more comprehensive exploration of this rich historical source material. The unique value proposition of Gaste Arşivi lies in its dedication to preserving a crucial piece of history and making it freely available, an endeavor greatly aided by its dedicated community of supporters. While the project currently operates on a modest budget (estimated earnings between $80 and $400), the consistent growth in membership signals a growing interest in its mission.