Aims and objectives
The aim of the project was to digitise and preserve the local newspaper ‘La Patria’, with issues ranging from November 1930 to December 1939, in order to provide digital access to the content from that period. Also, the aim was to contribute to the development of new national and international research on topics such as the Great Depression and industrialisation, sociability in the Province of Concepción, Chile, and also about the insertion of women in politics through women's suffrage and national political history, as well as the earthquake of January 1939 and its consequences for the south of Chile.
Outcomes
The library team received training on the binding of bibliographic material and old documentary supports. They also received training on digitisation and use of the scanner they purchased, as well as on cleaning newspapers. The material was scanned; it was a slow process but resulted in high-quality outcomes. The scanned images were reviewed and properly formatted to meet EAP standards and the requested format. After digitalisation, the newspapers were transferred to conservation boxes to prevent deterioration and improve document preservation. Additionally, the Library staff received training in binding and restoration to prepare for the future handling of newspapers that may still be bound, depending on their material condition.
Only one person was hired to handle the digitalisation, and they were later responsible for formatting, editing, and uploading the images to the appropriate server, organising them by issue (day), month, and year (7.5 months). A cataloguer was also hired to describe the information for the platform. The tasks of digitalisation, backup creation, DSPACE platform development, and metadata configuration were carried out by the library team from various units. Metadata was developed by professionals from the Information Resources Management Unit, Bibliographic Heritage Unit, and Sala Chile, enriching the local metadata to achieve broader thematic coverage and reach. The digitised information and metadata were sent to the British Library and Archive Partners.
Dissemination activities were carried out throughout the project, which helped us extend the reach and build anticipation for the new access to digitised materials, opening a new service that supports more extensive research in the humanities. In this context, internal and external press releases were developed; discussions on the importance of local press were held, involving academics, undergraduate and postgraduate students, schoolchildren, and the general community. Project progress was also presented at Library Congresses in Santiago, Chile, Trujillo, Peru, and at the 2nd Local Archives Colloquium in Concepción, Chile. Additionally, physical exhibitions of the digitised material and curated information were organised. Social media posts and internal network announcements were made to promote the project
