British Newspaper Archive approaches 30 million pages of content

The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) is now reaching the three quarters of the way mark with its project, as it approaches 30 million pages of online content (as I write this it is currently at 29,905,890 pages).

This was the original announcement about the project from May 2010 (on my former blog at http://scottishancestry.blogspot.com/2010/05/mass-digitisation-of-historic-british.html):

British Library and Brightsolid partnership to digitise up to 40 million pages of historic newspapers

The British Library’s Chief Executive, Dame Lynne Brindley, will today announce a major new partnership between the Library and online publisher brightsolid, owner of online brands including findmypast.co.uk and Friends Reunited. The ten-year agreement will deliver the most significant mass digitisation of newspapers the UK has ever seen: up to 40 million historic pages from the national newspaper collection will be digitised, making large parts of this unparalleled resource available online for the first time.

Spanning three centuries and including 52,000 local, regional, national and international titles, the British Library holds one of the world’s finest collections of newspapers. Each year the Newspaper Library at Colindale is used by 30,000 researchers in subjects ranging from family history and genealogy to sports statistics, politics and industrial history. This vast resource is held mainly in hard copy and microfilm, necessitating a trip to the north London site for people wishing to use the collection.

The partnership between the British Library and brightsolid will enable the digitisation of a minimum of 4 million pages of newspapers over the first two years. Over the course of ten years, the agreement aims to deliver up to 40 million pages as the mass digitisation process becomes progressively more efficient and as in-copyright content is scanned following negotiation with rightsholders.


I think it is fair to say that the BNA has transformed family history research, and is by far one of the most significant digitisation projects of this century so far.

Just ten million pages to go!

Here are the additions for the last 30 days:

Carlisle Journal
1847, 1883, 1885, 1889, 1891-1892, 1894, 1896, 1904-1905, 1908-1912

Sunday World (Dublin)
1987-1993, 1995-1996

Drogheda Argus and Leinster Journal
1965-1986, 1988-2005

Perthshire Advertiser
1875-1884, 1886-1906, 1908-1913, 1920-1932, 1937-1938, 1986

New Ross Standard
1911-1914, 1916-1986, 2002-2005

Manchester Evening News
1946

Gorey Guardian
1994-2006

Bray People
1988-1997, 1999-2002, 2004-2005

Lichfield Mercury
1929-1931, 1942, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1971-1973, 1985-1986, 1988-1989, 1991

Cheshire Observer
1931-1938, 1946-1949, 1951-1979

Lennox Herald
1885-1886, 1888-1892

Wexford People
1986, 1994, 2005

Western Mail
1920, 1923, 1933-1935, 1938, 1946-1947, 1952, 1959

Kerryman
1986-1987, 2003-2005

Drogheda Independent
1986-1987, 2005

Belfast Telegraph
1979-1983

Sligo Champion
1912-1921

Lloyd's List
1890, 1892

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.