COLUMBUS—Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) has partnered with the Columbus Dispatch to digitize and preserve the physical archive of central Ohio’s 152-year-old daily newspaper. It represents the largest donated collection of archival material that CML has ever received.
This physical archive, comprised of approximately 750 boxes that CML took ownership of in June 2023, includes copies of published editions, as well as bound volumes, clippings, newsroom artifacts, microfilm and microfiche, digital images, photo prints and negatives. CML’s Local History & Genealogy team is working to scan and digitize this new collection to make its contents free for public access. This growing digital archive, which currently includes more than 6,000 scanned images, can be accessed through CML’s My History collection. Under “Browse by Collection,” select “Columbus Dispatch Collection.”
Library and Dispatch leaders will jointly unveil this new partnership and digital resource at a special event at Main Library (96 S. Grant Ave.) at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20. The brief program will include remarks from CML CEO Patrick Losinski and the Dispatch’s executive editor, Michael Shearer, who started in his new role in January.
In 2018, CML unveiled its Columbus Dispatch Digital archive for customer use, offering cardholders free access to:
- A keyword-searchable archive of full-page scans of central Ohio’s daily newspaper from its 1871 launch through 1985.
- A keyword-searchable, HTML-only archive of the newspaper’s editions from 1985 to the present day.
Columbus Dispatch Digital can be accessed at columbuslibrary.org/research-tools.
In 2020, the Dispatch donated to CML its physical newspaper archive. Printed editions dating from 1871-2010 became available for customers to browse upon request at CML’s Main Library downtown.
CML continues to maintain its physical collection of Dispatch microfilm, which also spans the entire history of the publication, at its Main Library downtown.
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