Alabama Digital Newspaper Project

FAIN: PJ-261201-18

University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0001)
Lorraine Madway (Project Director: January 2018 to January 2023)

Funding details:
Original grant (2018) $324,774.00
Supplement (2020) $254,587.00
Supplement (2023) ($7,386.49)

Digitization of 100,000 pages of Alabama newspapers published between 1813 and 1922 as part of the state’s participation in the National Digital Newspaper Program.

The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections (UALSC) proposes to select, digitize, and make available to the Library of Congress 100,000 pages of its state’s historic newspapers, published between 1813 and 1922, as part of the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). UALSC holds microfilm copies of a substantial quantity of Alabama newspapers from this period representing a wide geographic range and culturally significant perspectives. UALSC proposes to work with a designated outside vendor for technical aspects of the project, and this collaboration will afford the project an efficient, standards-based digitization process. UALSC is committed to ensuring preservation of and access to the state’s historical newspapers. The NDNP and Chronicling America will provide a new level of access for this valuable component of Alabama’s documentary heritage.

Associated Products

Faculty Position (Staff/Faculty/Fellow Position)
Name: Faculty Position
Abstract: The Project Manager for the Digitizing Alabama Newspapers Project will be an Assistant Professor in the University of Alabama Libraries.
Year: 2019

Tales of a New Awardee: Alabama (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Tales of a New Awardee: Alabama
Author: Lorraine Madway
Author: Laura Gentry
Author: Jessica Kincaid
Abstract: Outreach presentation for the Alabama Digital Newspaper Project at the 2019 Awardee Conference in Washington, DC.
Date: 09/10/2019
Conference Name: National Digital Newspaper Program Awardee Conference

Birmingham age-herald newspaper digital collection (Web Resource)
Title: Birmingham age-herald newspaper digital collection
Author: University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections
Abstract: The digitization of this collection was funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support the University of Alabama’s participation in the National Digital Newspaper Program. This collection is part of the Alabama Digital Newspaper Project documenting the state’s historic newspapers and is also freely accessible online through the Library of Congress on the Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers website, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/.
Year: 2020
Primary URL: https://digitalcollections.libraries.ua.edu/digital/collection/p17336coll60
Primary URL Description: The URL identifies the location of this digital collection of the Birmingham age-herald on the University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections website (https://digitalcollections.libraries.ua.edu/digital/).

Antebellum Alabama newspapers digital collection (Web Resource)
Title: Antebellum Alabama newspapers digital collection
Author: University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections
Abstract: The digitization of this collection was funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support the University of Alabama’s participation in the National Digital Newspaper Program. This collection is part of the Alabama Digital Newspaper Project documenting the state’s historic newspapers and is also freely accessible online through the Library of Congress on the Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers website, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/.
Year: 2020
Primary URL: https://digitalcollections.libraries.ua.edu/digital/collection/p17336coll59
Primary URL Description: The URL describes the location of this digital collection of antebellum newspapers on the University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections website (https://digitalcollections.libraries.ua.edu/digital/).

African American Alabama newspapers digital collection (Web Resource)
Title: African American Alabama newspapers digital collection
Author: University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections
Abstract: The digitization of this collection was funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support the University of Alabama’s participation in the National Digital Newspaper Program. This collection is part of the Alabama Digital Newspaper Project documenting the state’s historic newspapers and is also freely accessible online through the Library of Congress on the Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers website https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/.
Year: 2020
Primary URL: https://digitalcollections.libraries.ua.edu/digital/collection/p17336coll71
Primary URL Description: The URL identifies the location of this digital collection of African American newspapers on the University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections website (https://digitalcollections.libraries.ua.edu/digital/).

The Huntsville Gazette, 1893: A Year in the Life of Black America (Web Resource)
Title: The Huntsville Gazette, 1893: A Year in the Life of Black America
Author: Kate Matheny
Abstract: Black newspapers like the Huntsville Gazette, a weekly published from 1879 to 1894, were instrumental in chronicling the ever-changing racial landscape three decades after emancipation. This exhibit provides a snapshot of the Gazette‘s coverage of issues about and important to the Black community by highlighting one article per issue from the year 1893.
Year: 2021
Primary URL: https://apps.lib.ua.edu/blogs/digitalexhibits/huntsville-gazette-1893/
Primary URL Description: The URL identifies the location of this digital exhibit of the Huntsville Gazette on the University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections website (https://digitalcollections.libraries.ua.edu/digital/).

The Huntsville Gazette: Chronicling 19th Century Life of Black America (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: The Huntsville Gazette: Chronicling 19th Century Life of Black America
Author: Lorraine Madway
Abstract: Outreach presentation on an African American Alabama newspaper digital exhibit of the Huntsville Gazette for the Alabama Digital Newspaper Project at the virtual 2021 NDNP Awardee Conference.
Date: 09/13/2021
Conference Name: National Digital Newspaper Program Awardee Conference

Remote Outreach: Challenges and Opportunities for the Alabama Digital Newspaper Project (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Remote Outreach: Challenges and Opportunities for the Alabama Digital Newspaper Project
Author: Jessica Kincaid
Abstract: Outreach presentation on the use of social media for the Alabama Digital Newspaper Project at the virtual 2021 NDNP Awardee Conference.
Date: 09/13/2021
Conference Name: National Digital Newspaper Program Awardee Conference

The Montgomery advertiser digital collection (Web Resource)
Title: The Montgomery advertiser digital collection
Author: University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections
Abstract: The digitization of this collection was funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support the University of Alabama’s participation in the National Digital Newspaper Program. This collection is part of the Alabama Digital Newspaper Project documenting the state’s historic newspapers and is also freely accessible online through the Library of Congress on the Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers website, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/.
Year: 2022
Primary URL: https://digitalcollections.libraries.ua.edu/digital/collection/p17336coll76
Primary URL Description: The URL identifies the location of this digital collection of the Montgomery advertiser on the University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections website (https://digitalcollections.libraries.ua.edu/digital/).

API cookbook (Web Resource)
Title: API cookbook
Author: University of Alabama Libraries
Abstract: The "API cookbook" generates instructional materials for interacting with digitized Alabama content via the Chronicling America API. It will be demonstrated, along with the Chronicling America resource and UA's history of participation in NDNP, during a collaborative workshop series hosted by UA's Digital Humanities Center.
Year: 2022
Primary URL: https://ualibweb.github.io/UALIB_ScholarlyAPI_Cookbook/content/scripts/python/python_chronam.html.
Primary URL Description: The URL identifies the API cookbook which is open-access and features commands in multiple programming languages.

Representations of female agency in the Birmingham age-herald, 1894-1924 (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Representations of female agency in the Birmingham age-herald, 1894-1924
Author: Lorraine Madway
Abstract: Outreach presentation for the Alabama Digital Newspaper Project at the 2022 NDNP Awardee Conference in Washington, DC. It discusses the ways women were depicted in advertisements and articles in the Birmingham Age-herald, including life cycle events (childbirth); appearance (hair); health ("womanly diseases"); politics (women's suffrage); and work ("volunteer work").
Date: 09/29/2022
Conference Name: National Digital Newspaper Program Awardee Conference

The Birmingham age-herald as data: exploring partnerships with Research Data Services at UA (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: The Birmingham age-herald as data: exploring partnerships with Research Data Services at UA
Author: Jessica Kincaid
Abstract: Outreach presentation on using the Birmingham age-herald's data to explore partnerships with UA's Research Data Services for the Alabama Digital Newspaper Project at the 2022 Awardee Conference in Washington, DC.
Date: 09/29/2022
Conference Name: National Digital Newspaper Program Conference

---