AWNA Digitization project

AWNA director Kerry Anderson is heading up a project that hopes to see back issues of Alberta’s newspapers digitized and made available on a website by the University of Alberta’s Cameron Library.

The Cameron Library digitizes a small amount of Alberta’s newspapers on an annual basis and plans to continue to do so, according to Kerry, who met recently with staff at both the Cameron and Legislature Libraries.

Kerry and his committee would like to apply for funding in order to get the digitization accomplished in a shorter time frame. The Legislature Library will make its microfilmed copies of community newspapers available to the Cameron Library for its online newspaper archive once AWNA publishers give their consent.

In order to move forward, Kerry will need the following from each AWNA member newspaper:

• Letter of support from your MLA
• Letter of support from your town council
• Letter of support from your local municipal library
• Letter of consent from each publisher to digitize back issues.

Says Kerry,

“All publications will be treated equally, and only those able to round up this support will likely have an opportunity to be included in the proposal. Have them send to me also so we can keep all the packages together please. Box 150 Tofield AB. T0B 4J0. Deadline: May 30, 2017.”

Kerry says he plans to present a proposal to the Provincial Government with a 1- year option, a 2-year option and a 5-year option. Once he has the number of newspapers that are participating, he will get an actual quote and breakdown over different time frames and make the proposal. He will also seek a letter of recommendation on the project from former premier Ed Stelmach.