A newspaper is much more than its text. It is a primary source for information of all types -- news stories, photographs, advertisements, and other graphical features. The Ithaca College library recently partnered with OCLC, a global library cooperative, to create fully-searchable digital editions of the College newspaper, the Ithacan (1931-2002) and its predecessor, Once-A-Week (1926-1930).
This rich repository is now available for use by scholars, researchers, students, alumni, and the general public.
For several years libraries have been preserving newspapers in microfilm format. Searchers would scroll through rolls of microfilm in order to find specific information. Using cutting-edge technology, Ithacan readers now have easy access to historical content, presented in context, with the newspaper's original layout, graphics, and reading experience. You can page through the newspaper and scan the headlines as if you were reading a print issue. You can also retrieve individual articles or pictures by clicking on them in the page. The software also allows for full text searching by article, picture, or ad; structured searching in title, byline, or body; and searching by keywords.
The Ithacan is the first newspaper in the United States to be digitized using Olive Software and OCLC's historic newspaper hosting services. Bridget Bower, College archivist, continues to receive inquiries from libraries who are interested in preserving other unique resources. The library is pleased to offer access to this wonderful resource.
To peruse the Ithacan and Once-A-Week, go to: The Ithacan: Historical Issues in a Digital Version.
Happy Searching!
Contributed by Lis Chabot
