Category: Archives & LIbraries

Nabb Research Center Digitizes Old Newspapers from Lower Delaware & the Eastern Shore of Maryland

Marylander and Herald, January 4, 1916, Princess Anne, from the Nabb Center digital collection
Marylander and Herald, January 4, 1916, Princess Anne, from the Nabb Center digital collection

It was only some 15 to 20 years ago that researchers were getting excited about being able to access the decennial census data on the World Wide Web.  This digital information was going to make Investigations of the past so much easier as the e-schedules would be text searchable and the entire universe of census products would be available.

Now that we are in the second decade of the 21st century, lots of added helpful data is often just a few keystrokes away, as the universe of online information expands rapidly.  The document array is exploding exponentially now as for-profit online publishers and open source providers rush to make valuable research content available to a broader user base.

I learned of another valuable online collection of newspapers at the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture at the Salisbury University, while doing a talk in Delmar.  This excellent special collections archives has created a strong group of online historical Delmarva newspapers. It consists of regional weeklies, spanning the years 1745 through 1922.

In the online records group you will find 17 different newspaper serials from Lower Delaware and the mid and Lower Shores of Maryland.   Titles include publications from Salisbury, Easton, Berlin, Snow Hill and elsewhere.  The products are text searchable, and the queries yield PDFs of the pages.

This was made possible, in part, by a grant from the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore.  Howard, the president of the Delmar Historical and Art Society tipped me off about this great virtual research warehouse of serials as we talked about such matters.  Thanks Howard and Thanks Nabb.

A Salisbury newspaper from the Nabb Center, Salisbury Advertiser, June 5, 1896
A Salisbury newspaper from the Nabb Center, Salisbury Advertiser, June 5, 1896

The War of 1812 in Delaware: A Helpful Digital Resource from the State Archives.

In commemoration of the First State’s role in the War of 1812 the Delaware Public Archives has launched an online digital repository of primary documents that researchers and those seeking to gain more understanding about the period will find valuable.  This web portal contains many insightful e-resources such as books, military reports, documents, prints, and correspondence.   The always open library includes military journals, papers of the legislature and executive, muster rolls, river pilot logs, judicial documents, guard reports, and war claims.  The e-books are the biography of Captain Thomas Macdonough and two volumes of the military records of the Delaware Archives.

The Archives has been taking a lead in going digital, making records that have historical and research value available online.  This is the latest example of the excellent, ongoing advancements being made by the archivist in Dover.  It’s a valuable, attractive resource with great primary source content that chronicles what happened during that dangerous period when the British were in the Delaware Bay.  This online collection, while preserving original manuscripts, makes these rare resources easily available to the public.  Thank You Delaware Public Archives.

Here is the link.   

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Delaware Public Archives, One of the Best Around

While wrapping up research at the Delaware Public Archives a few days ago, an attractive poster proclaiming October as national archives month caught my attention. This got me to thinking about how repositories such the one in Dover serve an important function, preserving governmental records, manuscripts, photographs, and others materials from the past. Unlike a regular library where most information comes from books and periodicals, researchers go to these places to gather firsthand facts, data, and evidence from original sources. The study of the past, whether it’s for a family history project or some scholarly matter, is greatly enhanced when we have strong repositories to protect, organize and provide access to priceless materials.

In Delaware, the public is particularly fortunate as the Hall of Records in Dover, a premiere spot for digging into the past with primary sources, is one of the best around. Whether someone is searching for relatives from generations ago, clues about an aspect of the community’s heritage or other elusive historical facts, there’s a good chance that those stacks hold some clues. It is one of the oldest special collections institutions in the nation, and there are over 4-million documents, 800,000-photographs, and 16,000-audio-visual holdings, according to a press release.

While the records are strong and First State researchers have an up-to-date facility, those vital factors aren’t the most impressive aspect of this state agency. What really stands out is the quality of the staff as they have some of the best archivists and support professionals around helping patrons sort through what is often confusing jumbles of records. Working with visitors, knowledgeable staffers patiently aid the novice and the professional alike, helping develop search strategies, find records and untangle the meanings of those documents as they track down elusive facts. Often when I’ve been stumped by something the staff has helped me successfully mine sources created centuries ago, directing me to materials and sharing the intricacies of how to work with those old manuscripts. That practice is simply the norm every day for every visitor at the Delaware Public Archives as the staff maintains vital historical records, which strengthens collective memory and effectively preserves the heritage of the First State.

That poster from a few days ago reminded about the value of these places and what an asset researchers have in the Delaware Public Archives.

Attended Workshop on the Future of Local History Collections in the Digital Age

This week I attended a Richard Stockton College workshop on
the future of local history in the digital age.  The valuable session included an excellent roundtable discussion where humanities scholars, historians, and librarians talked about the profound implications as technology changes the way we access the resources in museums and special collections libraries.