It’s time -- and it's possible -- to digitize more than a century of Provo’s historic newspapers

One of the most valuable ways to bring Utah’s local history to life is to preserve its historic local newspapers.

The Utah Digital Newspapers website is doing just that. The older the Utah newspaper, the more likely it is that they can find the funds to digitize it.

And they don’t stop with preservation. They film, index and make those newspapers searchable online, making it possible for people all over the country to find key family information, and do other local historical research.

好记性不如烂笔头
There is a Chinese saying, “The weakest ink is better than the strongest memory.” Utah Digital Newspapers turns up wonderful, often surprising, insights into families and cities by making these historic printed newspapers available as digitized, searchable documents.

However, there is one glaring gap: Provo.

Yes, there is one delightful old newspaper, the Provo Daily Enquirer, which was published between 1881 – 1897. It is invaluable for its time period.

But what about the next 100+ years from 1897 to 1997 and later? There is nothing available yet through Utah Digital Newspapers.

Most of what we are able to gather online about Provo's history during that missing century comes from Ogden, Salt Lake, and southern Utah newspapers -- not exactly the best sources.

Now and then when I am doing research on the Utah Digital Newspapers website, a popup asks me to fill out a quick questionnaire.

I never miss an opportunity to ask, “Any chance that you might add another Provo newspaper or two to the archive?”

Here is the latest reply:
Hello Larry,

First, thanks for your email… As to your question about adding Provo newspapers, we are always interested in adding new titles, no matter where they might be from.

Unfortunately, though, we are a "soft money" program which means we have to raise all the money required to add content and operate the program.

So we would need to find a donor or perhaps receive some grant funds to add new titles to the database/website. And at the present time, we have no funds available for new content.

I wish I had better news for you, but these are the constraints we have to live within.

Best,

John Herbert
Program Director
Utah Digital Newspapers

I have checked, and the 100+ years of Provo newspapers exist, and are available to be added, if enough funding can be donated.

Please, if you have $500,000 or so available to digitize one of Provo's most historic treasures, please don’t hesitate to contact John Herbert.

Ask John how many of those years can be placed online through the Utah Digital Newspapers database with your charitable contribution.

It is also possible that they might need skilled volunteers in the Salt Lake City area to help digitize all of that newsprint. Please contact John and ask him to add your name to a list of people willing to volunteer to help put the remainder of Provo’s historical newspapers online.

It’s time we do everything we can make this happen!

--Larry Christensen '66

In the NewsUtah Digital Newspapers Program Director John Herbert featured on Fox 13 TV news, KCPW Your browser does not support the audio element.

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