Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society and Indiana State Library Complete Nearly Two-Year Digitization Project
WHITING, IN — More than a century of Whiting history is now just a few keystrokes away, thanks to a nearly two-year collaboration between the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society and the Indiana State Library.
The Historical Society announced the completion of a major newspaper digitization project that has made 11 historic Whiting newspaper titles, some dating as far back as 1894, available to the public online, free of charge.
The newspapers are now part of Hoosier State Chronicles, the Indiana State Library's digital historic newspaper program, which provides public access to newspapers published throughout Indiana.
The newly digitized collection includes more than 22,000 pages representing an invaluable record of Whiting's development and the everyday lives of its residents. The collection includes known surviving issues of these newspapers, although some gaps remain, particularly in the earliest years of publication.
Unlike traditional microfilm or bound newspaper collections, the digitized newspapers are searchable. Researchers can look for names, businesses, addresses, organizations, events and other subjects, making it possible to uncover information that might otherwise require hours of searching through old newspaper pages.
"This is a tremendous addition to the historical resources available to our community," said John Hmurovic, President of the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society. "These newspapers tell the story of Whiting in a way that few other sources can. They document not only major events, but the everyday activities of the people, businesses, churches, schools and organizations that shaped our community. Making this material available to everyone, free of charge, is something we are particularly proud of."
The project was made possible largely in part by the Whiting Public Library, which had preserved surviving issues of the newspapers on microfilm years earlier and subsequently provided copies to the Historical Society. Those microfilm records served as the source material for the digitization effort.
The project required extensive coordination between the Historical Society and the Indiana State Library, including the assistance of an international consulting firm specializing in newsprint digitization. The Historical Society raised nearly $10,000 to complete the project, thanks to the generous support of Centier Bank and numerous individual donors.
For the Historical Society, the project is part of an ongoing effort to preserve Whiting and Robertsdale's history while making its collections and historical resources more accessible to the public.
"Preserving history is only part of our mission," said Ron Tabaczynski, Executive Director of the Historical Society. "We also want people to be able to use it. Whether someone is researching their family, looking into the history of a home or business, or simply curious about what was happening in Whiting a hundred years ago, this collection opens up remarkable opportunities for discovery."
The Historical Society encourages residents, former residents, genealogists, students and anyone interested in local history to explore the collection. Because the newspapers are available online, they can be accessed from anywhere, providing a valuable resource for people with Whiting connections who no longer live in the area.
The digitized newspapers can be accessed through Hoosier State Chronicles at https://www.hoosierstatechronicles.org/.
