Peoria Public Library is undertaking a process to make more than 70 years’ worth of local newspaper editions available digitally.
The preservation project will see electronic versions of Peoria Journal Star print editions dating back to 1951 included in the library’s online database that will be “keyword searchable.”
Library executive director Randall Yelverton calls it a “longtime dream project” that enhances exploration of Peoria’s past.
“This is our local history, and we have a responsibility to preserve it and to share it,” said Yelverton.
“We have a commitment here at the library, and particularly through the work of our Local History and Genealogy collection and those that work in it, to preserve local history and to make as much as we can available in those spheres to those who would be interested in doing local research.”
Scans of the Journal Star, as they appeared in print, from 1951-2007 are currently available, while issues from 2008-17 are a work in progress. However, only the most recent digitized editions going back to 2019 are fully searchable with keywords.
Yelverton says the library’s updated collaboration with NewsBank will simplify the process.
“In the past, you had to know exactly what date you were looking for and search for that on microfilm. This allows you to search over the entire collection,” he said. “It is so much easier now, and seeing the paper as it was in the kind of crisp scans that we have available is fantastic.”
Yelverton said the library has worked with NewsBank for some time, but when the company first raised the idea for this kind of project a decade ago, the cost was “a bit restrictive.” He said the new five-year contract will cost around $68,000 annually.
“As technology has improved, the prices have come down, and NewsBank made these available to us at a reasonable price,” said Yelverton. “We do own these scans, and part of what we’re purchasing is the perpetual use of them, and those scans are now going to be ours.”
Patrons will be able to use their library card to access the newspaper database online through the library's website. It’s also available in the Local History and Genealogy Department at the main branch in downtown Peoria.
“All you need to do to use it is to have your Peoria Public Library card and you can access this from all over the world,” said Yelverton. “You could use it in local classroom, or anywhere where internet is available, you can use your library card and get that information.”
