Should I Transcribe Off-Topic Articles?

I believe that if you look to the right of your query, there will be an answer to this question. 
Re:  Excluding irrelevant material on newspaper page. 
Lauren Algee writes:
We do want you to transcribe all of the text on the page, even the articles that are unrelated to Barton.  This is for consistency (so we know that any Barton images with transcription have been entirely transcribed) and because that non-Barton information could be useful to a researcher searching Library of Congress collections broadly.  Thanks for the question!

I've had the same question Laurie.  While I do not have the definitive answer for you, I say go for it!  I have a collection of old (early 20th C) National Geographic magazines and besides browsing the articles, I often find myself just scrolling through looking at the old adverts.  I find that they offer fascinating insights into past society as culture, language, and technology change.   Same with those seemingly unimportant secondary articles.  Will anyone ever use it?  I don't know.  Maybe, maybe not.  It never ceases to amaze me, though, what some people find interesting or what some academics will find valuable for research. 

Dave

Hi Laurie,

I asked the same question (about a Clara Barton page) almost a year ago. And here's the answer I received from Lauren Algee (LOC).

"We do want you to transcribe all of the text on the page, even the articles that are unrelated to Barton.  This is for consistency (so we know that any Barton images with transcription have been entirely transcribed) and because that non-Barton information could be useful to a researcher searching Library of Congress collections broadly.  Thanks for the question!"

As a fellow volunteer, if they are off-topic I wouldn't bother. Let's see what the moderators have to say,though.

Henry