[Genealib] Newspaper indexing

[Marge Bardeen]

I wondered when someone would bring up digitization!  Although not perfect,
digitized newspapers are a wonderful way to search newspapers.  On our web
site we have the digitized version of the Columbia, PA newspaper, the
Columbia Spy (1830-1899).

Locally we have formed a county wide digitization group
http://library.fandm.edu/lcdp and we have plans to digitize other county
newspapers.

I wonder if the effort to "hand" index newspapers is worth the time?  Of
course, you do miss things in the digitized versions as Joyce relates.
Still at least in Pennsylvania, this is the path that is being taken, led by
Penn State University  http://www.libraries.psu.edu/digital/newspapers/ .
Check out the  Columbia Spy available on our web site
www.lancasterhistory.org

Marjorie R. Bardeen
Assistant Librarian
Lancaster County Historical Society
230 N. President Ave.
Lancaster, PA  17603
(717) 392-4633 ex. 108
www.lancasterhistory.org

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Joyce Cook [mailto:jhcook at alltel.net]
  Sent: Friday, June 23, 2006 11:35 AM
  To: Librarians Serving Genealogists
  Subject: [Genealib] Newspaper indexing


  Craig Scott is definitely looking at the future of indexing.  But he did
miss one thing. Right now in my county a local person is scanning area
newspapers, as far back as possible, then using an OCR program to make them
all-word searchable, thus no index needed.  This is not a perfect system
because the OCR picks up blots, splotches, and other weird things on the
page, so there are odd-looking words and spellings.  However, it is online
and is quite useful in local history/genealogy research.  I'm going to be
indexing a genealogical society's journal this year and I'm wondering if we
shouldn't just scan pages, convert to OCR, and put it on a CD-ROM for our
members.  No index!

  Joyce Cook, genealogist and retired librarian
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