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National Digital Newspaper Program

Phase I

 

The Kentucky Test Bed, or,

KNP Redux

 

 

 

The University of Kentucky (UK) Libraries will participate in two-year project to begin in May 2005 to contribute to the Test Bed Phase of the National Digital Newspaper Program. The Kentucky Test Bed will prepare 100,000 digital pages images from high quality microfilm of historic Kentucky newspapers representing the period 1900 to 1910. The Kentucky Test Bed will select titles from the Libraries' extensive holdings of Kentucky newspaper on microfilm. Approximately 450 reels of microfilm and 450,000 pages of Kentucky newsprint form the target collection for conversion into OCR'd, fully keyword searchable, digital images.

 

The KNP Test Bed staff, in consultation with an Advisory Board, will select titles that represent all regions of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. With 120 counties and a sprawling geography imbued with the history of manifest destiny and westward expansion, Kentucky has accumulated a rich history of newspaper publication and distribution. Additionally, Kentucky's press maintains a long history. In 1869, the Kentucky Newspaper Association formed as the 10^th oldest similar organization in the United States. During KNP Test Bed, staff will compile an authoritative essay about the state's newspaper publishing history during the 1900-1910 era. In addition, a brief history of each publication will accompany the digital newspaper