Old papers go digital
MAHANOY CITY - Genealogists and historians may soon have an easier time finding printed information about northern Schuylkill County.
Phase Two of a newspaper preservation project is now under way in two northern boroughs in hopes of getting the Mahanoy City Record American and the Ashland Daily News onto computer discs or microfilm.
According to Peg Grigalonis of the Mahanoy Area Historical Society, a $5,000 Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development grant secured by state Rep. Neal P. Goodman, D-23, and $4,000 in private donations allowed the project to begin.
"We received a quote of 75 cents per page from two firms in Bethesda, Md., to have (the newspapers) digitized," Grigalonis said. "The money we have now should digitize the years 1919 to half of 1925."
Members of the historical society and Mahanoy Area National Honor Society moved all of the binders containing the yellowed pages of the Record American from The REPUBLICAN & Herald Building in Shenandoah to the second floor of the Mahanoy City Public Library last spring. The binders cover the years 1919 to 1969 but Grigalonis says she is most concerned about the transfer of the earlier editions because of their poor condition.
"Once completed, the digital files will probably be put on portable disc drives because of their size. It will be delivered to us at the completion of the transfer," Grigalonis said. "I guess we then give it to Access Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Library, who will put it on their server. Patrons with a library card will then be able to access them from home through the library site."
A total of 144 bound copies of the Evening Herald containing papers from 1891 to 1940 were preserved on microfilm in 2005 thanks to a $31,370 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
NEH is a federal agency dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation and public programs in the humanities. In 2004, NEH granted Penn State University Libraries' Preservation Department $350,000 to support the efforts of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Project.
At the time, the PNP selection committee reviewed more than 500 candidates for the microfilm process and the Shenandoah paper ranked second.
A letter-writing campaign started and an online message board gained additional support for the Evening Herald project until money was granted for the effort.
"I started coming here (to the Shenandoah REPUBLICAN & Herald office) to do research by looking through the old editions that were upstairs," Diane Rooney, San Francisco, said. "The editions were invaluable to my research."
Rooney, who has family in Gilberton, uses old newspaper articles to compare all sides of the county's historical events, such as the 1918 flu epidemic, the Alex Dale murder trial and the Gilberton floods.
"A lot of people that don't live here but have connections to the county are interested in conducting research and they may not have access to the editions," Rooney said. "If the information was available online or at least on microfilm or disc, it would be easier to access."
Rooney said other newspaper preservation projects are still being funded by NEH.
"They are currently taking public submissions and we need to get the word out so more of these papers can be preserved," Rooney said. "The Evening Herald was selected last time because of its historic value and because of the interest of the public. We need to get the same interest known for the Record American and the Daily News."
Joann Vaughn, Ashland, is involved in the Daily News preservation efforts.
"Our papers are still in the REPUBLICAN office," Vaughn said. "The (Ashland Public) library and the Ashland Historic Society are trying to get grant money. I think it is important to get this done. Some of the earlier editions are in bad shape. We need to get this done before they completely deteriorate."
Vaughn said Iron Mountain Records Management, Pittsburgh, gave the Ashland group a quote of $11,000 to microfilm the newspaper. Vaughn believes that even though it may cost more, it may be better to go digital like the Mahanoy City group.
Grigalonis said there is no time frame as yet for the project completion, since she is still seeking additional funding.
Grigalonis said she is currently applying for a grant through Sen. James J. Rhoades' office to obtain an additional $10,000 to digitize the rest of the papers from 1925 to 1930.
"That will convert all of the papers in very bad condition," Grigalonis said. "Next year I plan to ask for $25,000 from the State Library's Department of Education funds to convert those few years we already have on microfilm to digital format along with converting about 74 more binders or about 12 years up to 1942."
In September 1919, the Record American was formed from the consolidation of The American Tribune and The Daily Record and James H. Kirchner became publisher. He had been publisher of the Tribune since 1909.
The old brown building at 29-31 W. Pine St. that housed the Record American offices was torn down in 2004.
The newspaper served the Mahanoy City area until April 1969 when, along with the Ashland Daily News, it became part of the Evening Herald.
In 1995, the Evening Herald merged with the Pottsville REPUBLICAN. In 2003, The REPUBLICAN & Herald was acquired by Scranton-based Times · Shamrock Communications.
http://www.republicanherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18843495&BRD=2626&PAG=461&dept_id=532624&rfi=6
MAHANOY CITY - Genealogists and historians may soon have an easier time finding printed information about northern Schuylkill County.
Phase Two of a newspaper preservation project is now under way in two northern boroughs in hopes of getting the Mahanoy City Record American and the Ashland Daily News onto computer discs or microfilm.
According to Peg Grigalonis of the Mahanoy Area Historical Society, a $5,000 Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development grant secured by state Rep. Neal P. Goodman, D-23, and $4,000 in private donations allowed the project to begin.
"We received a quote of 75 cents per page from two firms in Bethesda, Md., to have (the newspapers) digitized," Grigalonis said. "The money we have now should digitize the years 1919 to half of 1925."
Members of the historical society and Mahanoy Area National Honor Society moved all of the binders containing the yellowed pages of the Record American from The REPUBLICAN & Herald Building in Shenandoah to the second floor of the Mahanoy City Public Library last spring. The binders cover the years 1919 to 1969 but Grigalonis says she is most concerned about the transfer of the earlier editions because of their poor condition.
"Once completed, the digital files will probably be put on portable disc drives because of their size. It will be delivered to us at the completion of the transfer," Grigalonis said. "I guess we then give it to Access Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Library, who will put it on their server. Patrons with a library card will then be able to access them from home through the library site."
A total of 144 bound copies of the Evening Herald containing papers from 1891 to 1940 were preserved on microfilm in 2005 thanks to a $31,370 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
NEH is a federal agency dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation and public programs in the humanities. In 2004, NEH granted Penn State University Libraries' Preservation Department $350,000 to support the efforts of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Project.
At the time, the PNP selection committee reviewed more than 500 candidates for the microfilm process and the Shenandoah paper ranked second.
A letter-writing campaign started and an online message board gained additional support for the Evening Herald project until money was granted for the effort.
"I started coming here (to the Shenandoah REPUBLICAN & Herald office) to do research by looking through the old editions that were upstairs," Diane Rooney, San Francisco, said. "The editions were invaluable to my research."
Rooney, who has family in Gilberton, uses old newspaper articles to compare all sides of the county's historical events, such as the 1918 flu epidemic, the Alex Dale murder trial and the Gilberton floods.
"A lot of people that don't live here but have connections to the county are interested in conducting research and they may not have access to the editions," Rooney said. "If the information was available online or at least on microfilm or disc, it would be easier to access."
Rooney said other newspaper preservation projects are still being funded by NEH.
"They are currently taking public submissions and we need to get the word out so more of these papers can be preserved," Rooney said. "The Evening Herald was selected last time because of its historic value and because of the interest of the public. We need to get the same interest known for the Record American and the Daily News."
Joann Vaughn, Ashland, is involved in the Daily News preservation efforts.
"Our papers are still in the REPUBLICAN office," Vaughn said. "The (Ashland Public) library and the Ashland Historic Society are trying to get grant money. I think it is important to get this done. Some of the earlier editions are in bad shape. We need to get this done before they completely deteriorate."
Vaughn said Iron Mountain Records Management, Pittsburgh, gave the Ashland group a quote of $11,000 to microfilm the newspaper. Vaughn believes that even though it may cost more, it may be better to go digital like the Mahanoy City group.
Grigalonis said there is no time frame as yet for the project completion, since she is still seeking additional funding.
Grigalonis said she is currently applying for a grant through Sen. James J. Rhoades' office to obtain an additional $10,000 to digitize the rest of the papers from 1925 to 1930.
"That will convert all of the papers in very bad condition," Grigalonis said. "Next year I plan to ask for $25,000 from the State Library's Department of Education funds to convert those few years we already have on microfilm to digital format along with converting about 74 more binders or about 12 years up to 1942."
In September 1919, the Record American was formed from the consolidation of The American Tribune and The Daily Record and James H. Kirchner became publisher. He had been publisher of the Tribune since 1909.
The old brown building at 29-31 W. Pine St. that housed the Record American offices was torn down in 2004.
The newspaper served the Mahanoy City area until April 1969 when, along with the Ashland Daily News, it became part of the Evening Herald.
In 1995, the Evening Herald merged with the Pottsville REPUBLICAN. In 2003, The REPUBLICAN & Herald was acquired by Scranton-based Times · Shamrock Communications.
http://www.republicanherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18843495&BRD=2626&PAG=461&dept_id=532624&rfi=6
