Washington Digital Newspaper Project, Phase One

FAIN: PJ-50038-08

Washington State Library (Olympia, WA 98504-0001)
Shawn Schollmeyer (Project Director: November 2007 to September 2018)

Funding details:
Original grant (2008) $341,424.00
Supplement (2010) $284,000.00
Supplement (2012) $310,000.00

Digitization of 100,000 pages of Washington State's microfilmed newspapers from 1880 to 1922, as part of the National Newspaper Digital Program (NDNP).

Contemporary newspapers provide a unique view into the history and daily activities of our country. Newspapers reflect the complex life of a local community from the effects of national events to the minutiae of lost horses and grocery prices. This project aims to increase the availability and accessability of significant collections of these resources by creating a representative digital newspaper collection for Washington State. The project partners include the University of Washington Library, the Washington State University Library, the Seattle Public Library and the Washington State Library. These libraries represent the most significant repositories of newspapers on microfilm in the state. The collections held at the partner libraries are the focus of the project. These partners have been meeting for the last year and a half to discuss a collaborative project, issues about collections, and ways to work together to form a statewide digital collection.