NotebookLM Plus has demonstrated the remarkable ability to analyse handwritten historical documents in their original. This study investigates NotebookLM Plus’s capacity to extract meaningful insights, showcasing its application as a use case in analysing a historical manuscript from the British Library. NotebookLM’s success in transcribing, interpreting, and contextualising handwritten text showcases a potential leap forward in digital archival research.
Table of Contents
Exploring Handwriting Analysis in NotebookLM Plus
In an exploratory study, I tested NotebookLM Plus by uploading a scanned image of a historical manuscript (partial) sourced from the British Library, converting it into a PDF, and setting it as a Source for analysis. While Google has not officially announced that NotebookLM possesses handwriting analysis capabilities, this experiment demonstrates otherwise. By successfully interpreting and analysing handwritten text from the manuscript, the AI showcased an advanced and unpublicised feature, effectively revealing its ability to work with historical handwritten documents.
Experiment Context and Setup
The primary (and lone) Source was a scanned image of a handwritten document titled Specimen 2.jpg, which contained excerpts from a historical agreement involving the British Crown and African entities such as the Ashanti Kingdom and Mashak Tribes. The image was digitised into PDF format and initially analysed using NotebookLM Free and NotebookLM Plus. However, NotebookLM Free was later discarded in favour of NotebookLM Plus due to the latter’s superior transcription accuracy and contextual understanding, which provided a more reliable analysis for this experiment.
NotebookLM Plus automatically titled the Notebook ‘Specimen 2: Ireland and the British Crown’ and the Briefing Doc ‘British-Ashanti Agreement: An Analysis.’ The manuscript covered intricate negotiations and power dynamics between the British monarchy and African nations, written in formal and archaic legal language typical of historical treaties.
Best Practices for Preparing Sources
Following best practices when preparing sources is crucial to achieving accurate and meaningful analysis with tools like NotebookLM Plus. In this study, optimal results were achieved when the Source ws created applying Optical Character Recognition (OCR) in a way that respected the document’s original structure and language nuances. A brief introduction to these preparation methods is included in the NotebookLM Sources: Best Practices article, and a dedicated article on ‘Best Practices for OCR’ and the languages supported for OCR transcription will soon be published to provide detailed guidance.
Comparison of NotebookLM Free and NotebookLM Plus in Analysing Handwritten Documents
This analysis explores the differences in results produced by NotebookLM Free and NotebookLM Plus when tasked with transcribing and analysing the same handwritten historical document. The document in question was uploaded as a PDF, and the same prompt was used in both versions of NotebookLM: ”Please provide the transcription of the handwritten document you analysed earlier.”The experiment aimed to evaluate consistency and accuracy in the transcription and interpretation of the document between NotebookLM Free and NotebookLM Plus.
NotebookLM Free Transcription Output
The transcription generated by NotebookLM Free is as follows:
Copy
Transcription of the Manuscript by NotebookLM Plus
Agreement Whereas His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Chief of the Land and of the Sultan of Mashat for the consideration of the good of [illegible word] from the African Dominions of His Highness the Sultan of Mashat.
His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland being earnestly desirous that the reports of Slaves from the African Dominions of His Highness the Sultan of Mashat should not cause any disputes or misunderstanding or be a detriment to the interest of His Majesty and the British Subjects or for the purpose of the violation of humanity which have taken place between the traffic and engagements with Great Britain to reduce the traffic of Slavery do unanimously agree that His Majesty and the Sultan of Mashat do unanimously agree that the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Highness the Sultan of Mashat’s passing orders in accordance with the pure and humanity and for the further alleviation of the African Races and the traffic of Slaves as it should be agreed by the above parties. That the above powers in the behalf of the Sultan of Mashat to conclude an agreement with the Mahometan powers by His Said Sultan for himself his heirs and successors and his Clan. Therefore on behalf of the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and His various interests have agreed upon and considered the following articles.
NotebookLM Free Transcription Output
The transcription generated by NotebookLM Plus is as follows:
Transcription of the Manuscript by NotebookLM Free
Copy
Agreement Whereas His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Chief of the Land and of the Sultan of Mashat for the consideration of the good of [illegible word] from the African Dominions of His Highness the Sultan of Mashat.
His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland being earnestly desirous that the reports of Slaves from the African Dominions of His Highness the Sultan of Mashat should not cause any disputes or misunderstanding or be a detriment to the interest of His Majesty and the British Subjects or for the purpose of the violation of humanity which have taken place between the traffic and engagements with Great Britain to reduce the traffic of Slavery do unanimously agree that His Majesty and the Sultan of Mashat do unanimously agree that the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Highness the Sultan of Mashat’s passing orders in accordance with the pure and humanity and for the further alleviation of the African Races and the traffic of Slaves as it should be agreed by the above parties. That the above powers in the behalf of the Sultan of Mashat to conclude an agreement with the Mahometan powers by His Said Sultan for himself his heirs and successors and his Clan. Therefore on behalf of the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and His various interests have agreed upon and considered the following articles.
NotebookLM interface after uploading archival manuscript and first user interaction. Red indicates Source PDF, yellow indicates prompt from the user, and green indicates the response from the AI
Observations and Key Differences
The manuscript reflects intricate negotiations and power dynamics between the British monarchy and African nations, expressed in formal and archaic legal language typical of historical treaties.
NotebookLM Free automatically titled the Notebook ‘Specimen 2: Ireland and the British Crown’ and the Briefing Doc ‘Anglo-Omani Treaty Against the Slave Trade.’ These titles suggest a partial understanding of the document’s content, emphasising British-Omani relations rather than the broader context of African involvement.
NotebookLM Plus automatically titled the Notebook ‘Specimen 2: Ireland and the British Crown’ and the Briefing Doc ‘British-Ashanti Agreement: An Analysis.’ This demonstrates the AI’s enhanced ability to contextualise and understand the document’s broader themes with NotebookLM Plus. By referencing both the British Crown and African nations, these titles highlight the AI’s capacity to grasp the manuscript’s geopolitical significance, including its historical and legal importance.
Accuracy in Identifying Entities
NotebookLM Free refers to ‘His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom’ and ‘the Chief of the Land and of the Sultan of Mashat.’ This phrasing lacks precision and misinterprets some parts of the document.
NotebookLM Plus refers to ‘The Majesty the Queen of The United Kingdom’ and ‘The Chief of the Said District and The Tribes of Mashak,’ which aligns more accurately with historical context and document details.
Handling of Key Terms
NotebookLM Free inaccurately uses ‘reports of Slaves’ and ‘the Sultan of Mashat’s passing orders,’ creating ambiguity and errors in the transcription.
NotebookLM Plus correctly identifies terms such as ‘Report of Wards’ and ‘African Nominees,’ preserving the meaning and intent of the original document.
Document Structure and Consistency
NotebookLM Free struggles with maintaining sentence coherence, producing verbose and somewhat repetitive phrases (e.g., ‘do unanimously agree’ repeated twice).
NotebookLM Plus provides a more coherent and logically structured transcription, ensuring clarity while preserving the formal legal tone of the original text.
Legibility of Illegible Words
NotebookLM Free marks certain parts as ‘[illegible word],’ while NotebookLM Plus either resolves ambiguities or omits unclear sections without disrupting the flow.
Linguistic Style
NotebookLM Free introduces modern and less formal phrasing inconsistent with the historical document’s tone.
NotebookLM Plus retains the formal and archaic style, preserving the document’s authenticity.
Hidden Handwriting Analysis Features of NotebookLM Plus Uncovered
Despite the absence of formal announcements from Google regarding NotebookLM’s handwriting analysis capabilities, the AI effectively managed to:
- Transcribe Handwritten Text:
The AI produced a near-verbatim transcription of the document. It preserved original spelling, capitalisation, and punctuation while navigating the nuances of archaic English and varying handwriting styles. - Extract Key Themes and Facts:
NotebookLM identified the following elements:- Parties Involved: British royalty, African kings, and intermediaries like Messrs. Swanzy.
- Historical Context: Acknowledgement of prior treaties, ongoing negotiations, and the hierarchical dynamics between the British Crown and the African nations.
- Formal Legal Tone: The AI noted the legalistic style, indicating the document’s serious diplomatic nature.
- Contextual Analysis:
By leveraging the content, NotebookLM summarised complex power relations, negotiation nuances, and the implications of intermediary involvement, showcasing deep comprehension of the document’s themes. - Generate Insights:
Beyond transcription, the AI added insights about British colonial policies and their broader historical implications, highlighting its ability to contextualise historical data.
Digitised Manuscripts Repository Online
If you are interested in exploring or training NotebookLM Plus on manuscript reading, the British Library’s Digitised Manuscripts Repository is an exceptional resource. This platform provides access to a wide array of digitised manuscripts, making it ideal for research, transcription, and AI-driven analysis experiments. However, it is essential to adhere to the copyright and usage policies associated with these materials.
The British Library supports the use of its digitised collections for personal study, research, and educational purposes. For any commercial use, publication, or distribution beyond these purposes, formal permission or licensing may be required. As usage rights may vary for individual manuscripts, users are advised to review the British Library’s terms and conditions or contact their rights and permissions department to ensure compliance.
For further details on the collection and its usage policies, visit the Digitised Manuscripts Repository page or consult the British Library directly. Respecting these guidelines helps ensure continued access to these valuable historical resources.
Conclusion
The iterative use of prompts demonstrated NotebookLM Plus’s ability to effectively analyse and contextualise handwritten historical manuscripts, reaffirming its potential to revolutionise archival research. The experiment not only proved the AI’s transcription accuracy but also its capability to contextualise and analyse content in meaningful ways. This discovery opens the door to transformative applications in historical research, bringing centuries-old documents into the digital age with unprecedented ease and accuracy.
Disclaimer
The manuscript and specimen image used in this experiment are sourced from the British Library’s online resources:
- Article Title: ‘I wish to be made free and to remain in this country’: Testimony of liberated enslaved women, girls and boys
- Author: Susannah Gillard, Content Specialist, Archivist, British Library/Qatar Foundation Partnership
- Publication: British Library Blog
- Specimen Image Source: Handwritten Document
The sources relied on in this experiment, including the article and image from the British Library, are published under a Creative Commons licence. This attribution is made accordingly to comply with ethical use and proper citation practices, acknowledging Creative Commons materials responsibly.
This experiment was conducted for educational and research purposes within the bounds of fair use. The material is used non-commercially to analyse and demonstrate AI capabilities, and all rights remain with the original copyright holders. Any reproduction or use of the referenced sources should ensure compliance with copyright laws, Creative Commons guidelines, and fair use principles. This experiment does not imply any endorsement by the British Library or Google, and the findings are solely the result of independent testing and analysis.
