Nothing good is happening today to bound volume archives stashed in a storage room or packed away in a basement. They generally just sit there – fragile and continuing to deteriorate. Additionally, they’re virtually impossible for the community to search and explore.
Publishers tell us they have long wanted to scan the books but there are a few challenges – primary among them, money. Publishers, especially those of small market or community newspapers, simply don’t have the resources to undertake what seems to be an overwhelming project. And, even if they were able to afford quality scanning, they aren’t sure what would come next.
Discover America’s Story created a program that helps publishers generate the revenue they need for quality, intact scanning of bound volume and loose printed archives and it even offers publishers online hosting so there is nothing for them to do beyond putting books in the provided shipping containers. The revenue generating program has been extremely successful with community newspaper publishers, some of whom have decided to keep the program going even after the archive digitization is complete, so that they continue to have revenue coming in.
With Discover America’s Story, the publisher is in control, setting rates, all revenue generated is theirs, the scanning is all inclusive (shipping containers, shipping, scanning and hosting), and they maintain 100% ownership and control of the newly created digital archive.
To get started, all publishers need to do is contact Discover America’s Story which will schedule the first shipment. The program even provides no-cost support to the newspaper helping create marketing materials to inform the community about the project. Email karen@smalltownpapers.com for more information.
