Digital Library Center
Smathers Libraries
University of Florida
P.O Box 117003
Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
P: 352.273.2900
F: 352.846.3702
DLC@uflib.ufl.edu
The Florida Newspaper Project Particular Efforts
Planning: 1993-1994
A survey of all likely repositories of newspapers in the state was conducted during 1993 and 1994 by Dolores Jenkins, principal investigator, and Patricia Mason, project coordinator. A questionnaire was mailed to more than a thousand publishers, library/museum directors, and genealogical/historical societies. Follow-up mailings (including news releases to publicize and explain the project) and telephone contact have continued throughout the first and second grant periods. All information obtained has been entered into a microcomputer database using Pro-Cite software.
Microfilming: 1995-1996
Microfilming on an emergency basis was proposed for nine titles in 1994 under the supervision of Erich Kesse, head of the Smathers Libraries Preservation Department. Lending agreements and consent forms for microform distribution were sent in March 1995 to all institutions and publishers associated with these titles and any related titles and variations. Holdings that were complete were collated, and microfilming began in late May 1995. By the end of March 1996, all but one of the nine titles had been microfilmed to preservation standards by the Reprographics Unit of the Preservation Department. Preservation staff benefited from the opportunity of limited microfilming in the current phase and propose an expanded program of emergency microfilming in the next phase prior to a subsequent proposal to microfilm all unfilmed runs that meet criteria for preservation.
Cataloging: 1995-1997
While Florida is currently the fourth most populous state, the number of surviving newspapers is smaller than in states with comparable populations. For one thing, the influx of people is relatively recent; for another, the climate that attracts people is terribly detrimental to newsprint. The lack of large numbers following the initial survey led project staff to propose using only one team of catalogers in the first implementation phase. The two-year proposal to catalog titles at the University of Florida's Smathers Libraries was approved in early 1995 commenced in earnest in June of that year. In the two-year period June 1995 through May 1997, project catalogers entered 729 new bibliographic records into the OCLC database, modified and enhanced 1,444 bibliographic records in the OCLC database, identified another 227 titles needing little or no bibliographic enhancement, downloaded a total of 2,400 new and modified CONSER-authenticated bibliographic records into LUIS (the University of Florida's online public access catalog), and entered 3,662 local data records into the OCLC union list subsystem.
Field Work: 1997-1999
Site visits to state-wide newspaper repositories commenced in March of 1997. Efficient cataloging of UF's newspapers allowed for field work to begin earlier than the anticipated June 1997 start date. Historical societies, libraries, museums, newspaper offices and any other place in Florida where newspapers are held will be visited so that unique titles can be fully examined. Selections for microfilming will be made from these cataloged materials. Florida newspapers of historic value in danger of complete deterioration will be quickly targeted for preservation. The latest reports from the field will be available here as work progresses. Check back frequently for updates.
