University of Wyoming Libraries Receives Grant for Newspaper Digitization Project

The University of Wyoming Libraries has recently been awarded a third round of funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to continue its newspaper digitization work. The $263,100 grant will support the ongoing Wyoming Digital Newspaper Project, which started in 2019 after receiving the first NEH grant.

The main objective of the project is to digitize 100,000 pages of select Wyoming newspapers dating from 1867 to 1963. This effort is part of the state’s participation in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). Once the pages are digitized the UW Libraries team, they are uploaded to the Chronicling America website, a free and searchable database of historic American newspapers. So far, the team has uploaded over 200,000 pages to the website.

The digitization of these newspapers not only preserves their content but also makes them more accessible to researchers, historians, and the general public. By having these newspapers available online, individuals can easily search and explore a wealth of information about Wyoming’s history and culture.

The first two rounds of grant funding have already led to the addition of newspapers such as The Arapahoe Herald, The Carbon County Journal, and The Park County Herald. With the support of this third round of funding, the project will be able to expand its efforts and contribute even more to preserving Wyoming’s newspaper heritage.

The University of Wyoming Libraries’ commitment to digitizing these newspapers is a valuable contribution to preserving and sharing the history of Wyoming. Through the Wyoming Digital Newspaper Project, future generations will have the opportunity to delve into the past and learn from the stories and events documented in these newspapers.

Definitions:
– National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): An independent agency of the U.S. federal government that supports research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities.
– Wyoming Digital Newspaper Project: A project undertaken the University of Wyoming Libraries to digitize and make available historic newspapers from Wyoming through the Chronicling America website.
– National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP): A partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress to create a national digital resource of historic newspapers.
– Chronicling America: A website providing access to millions of pages of historic newspapers from the United States.

Sources:
– University of Wyoming Libraries
– National Endowment for the Humanities
– Chronicling America website