Help save more historical newspapers

Media Release
8 June 2012

Help save more historical newspapers

The National Library of New Zealand is inviting libraries, newspapers, institutions and community groups to apply to have historic newspapers from their regions digitised and put online.

The National Library’s Papers Past website has more than two million pages of digitised New Zealand newspapers and periodicals from between 1839 and 1945, and up to 10,000 visitors a day. The 2011 collaborative programme is contributing a further 70,000 new pages from ten different newspapers, which will go online in June.

“We are running the collaborative programme again in 2012/2013 and hope to digitise another 50,000 pages,” said Chris Szekely, Chief Librarian of the Alexander Turnbull Library, part of the National Library.

“We are inviting libraries and other organisations to apply to have their local newspapers digitised. National Library will share the cost.

“There is an ongoing demand from the public for historical newspapers to be preserved and made accessible online – this assists different types of research into our history and brings the past alive.”

Palmerston North City Library has been part of the Papers Past Collaborative project for the last three years.

Philippa Elphick, Palmerston North City Library, says “it has been an affordable way for us to play a part in making our early Manawatu newspapers available online for our customers – wherever they may be.

“We have indexed the Manawatu Evening Standard (births deaths and marriages as well as local history articles) for a long time, but have never had the resources to do the same for the Manawatu Daily Times. Now this title is being digitised online they are searchable like never before.

“Our customers love the Papers Past website, and are thrilled to find their Manawatu papers on there now. The older papers are being constantly referred to for research for both personal and professional reasons, as they are a unique resource for finding information on all things local.”

Organisations participating in the 2011 programme include the Horowhenua Library Trust, Whangarei Libraries, Hamilton City Libraries, Christchurch City Libraries, Hutt City Libraries, Upper Hutt City Library, Whakatane District Museum & Gallery, Westport Genealogy and History Group, and Palmerston North City Library.

Information on project details and instructions on how to apply and how to get funding if required, is available on the National Library of New Zealand website.

LINKS
- National Library website/Collaboration Guide 2012: http://www.natlib.govt.nz/about-us/current-initiatives/papers-past-collaboration
- Papers Past website: http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast

ENDS

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