DH Lunch: Why Use Vision Language Models for Handwriting Recognition – A Holistic Approach
This DH lunch will be about fine-tuning or "training" of Vision Language Models (VL-models), or image-to-text language models
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Vision Language Models or Multimodal LLM
VLM is a kind of LLM’s, but with photo and video as main input not chat-dialog. That is why they are also referred to as Multimodal LLM. We have a project where we train the VL-model Qwen 3.0 VL in Norwegian hand writing from early 1900. The goal is to be able to transcribe the whole censusfrom 1920 including the residential part.
VL-modellane (Google Gemini, Qwen VL) is about to outcompete traditional OCR og HTR/HWR which are words and line-based. Training of VL-models is therefore different from, for example, Transkribus, trOCR and requires different types of datasets than for example Norhand at Nasjonalbiblioteket. VL-models «understands" entire pages and draws conclusions based on similar word patterns on the same page.
About the Lecturer
Arne Solli is an associate professor of history at the Department of Archaeology, History, Culture and Religious Studies (AHKR) at the University of Bergen. He has a professional background in historical demography, family and household history, and has later specialized in urban history, the history of epidemics and area and property history in the period 1500–1900. Arne leads, among other things, the UrbGIS project, a map portal for historical population and property data in Norwegian cities, and is engaged in applied digital humanities and historical Information Systems.
A Zoom link will be sent out t after the deadline has passed.
DH Lunch Series
The DH lunch series is a collaboration between the Digital Lab at the University of Bergen, the D-lab at NTNU and the Norwegian Network for Digital Humanities and Cultural Organizations (DHKO). The lunch series addresses topics related to digital humanities (DH) and gives researchers and others who work with DH projects or research the opportunity to share experiences, successes and challenges related to the use of digital tools and/or methods.
Do you have suggestions for topics you would like to hear more about, or are you working on something you would like to share? Do not hesitate to contact us organizers by e-mail.
In the spring of 2026, you can participate in digital DH lunches on the following dates and times:
- Thursday 29 January at 11.30–12.00
- Thursday 26 February at 11.30–12.00
- Thursday 26 March at 11.30–12.00
- Thursday 30 April at 11.30–12.00
- Thursday 28 May at 11.30–12.00
Follow the Digital Lab calendar for more information.