Press Release
29th August 2012
Recruits needed to list wartime news online
A mission to list local newspaper articles relating to World War 1 is underway at the Shetland Library. As anyone who has tried to find information in old local newspapers will know, it can be a frustrating process unless you have a specific date. The project will begin by indexing wartime news, and volunteers with an interest in that topic, or local history in general, are needed to begin listing the articles.
The project has been set up by the Shetland Library in collaboration with the Shetland Museum and Archives, and has been done through the SIC’s graduate placement scheme. Graduate Liz Brown has worked out a standardised procedure for indexing which can be used in the future. She will be available to meet with volunteers until her placement finishes on the 7th of September, and thereafter the project will be carried on by the Archives.
The Shetland News has been chosen as the best paper to index, as it covers a finite period from 1885 – 1963 and only reaches eight pages at its maximum. This provides a more manageable collection than The Shetland Times, yet still provides a valuable resource to local historians and genealogists. It has been decided to concentrate on wartime editions at first, as they are of particular interest. “A great many customers come to the Library and the Archives to look at The Shetland News” says Liz, “and an online index will be a great boon in helping them find information more quickly. It is also very unlikely that The Shetland News will be digitised, which is something that could happen to The Shetland Times in the future”.
Any volunteers will be talked through the guidelines and the use of the Archives CALM database. If you are interested in helping to contribute to the Shetland News index, please contact Joanne Wishart at the Archives on 01595 741553.