The Woodstock Public Library has completed digitizing the full run of Woodstock Times from 1972 through 2020. All issues are available for online viewing and all content is keyword searchable. The 2020 issues of Hudson Valley One are also in the archive.
The final result, made possible by a company called Advantage Archives and funded from the library’s operating budget, was years in the making, first spurred on by former Library Director Jessica Kerr, current Librarian Kim Apolant and Library Technician Mei Moi Lee.
There need be no more poring through piles of newspapers and manipulating miles of microfilm until you’re dizzy just to find the article you needed for your research.
“A lot of my days would be spent sitting at the reader, sifting through text,” recalls Gocker, referring to what was required for research before publications started to get digitized. Gocker said she found herself browsing through old Woodstock Times issues to get a sense of the area history when she started as director in December.
It’s now online at woodstock.advantage-preservation.com and free for anyone with an internet connection to use.
The library sent the Woodstock Times issues to Advantage Archives, which captured digital images of each page. Some issues were on microfilm and others were the original newspapers, into which the company made new microfilm. The company maintains the servers that allow users to view the articles.
“You first microfilm, then you digitize,” said library Director Ivy Gocker. “The microfilm is still the longest-lasting format. It’s still considered best practice to get it on microfilm.” Digital formats evolve and change, so for archival purposes, it is best to keep it in a format that can be captured onto the next technology, she explained.
Through optical character recognition technology, or OCR, Advantage Archives’ computers recognized the images of words and translated that to searchable text. In the Woodstock Times archives, viewers are then presented with a list of articles containing the text they entered in the search field. Click on an entry and an image of the page containing that text is displayed.
Library to hold info sessions ahead of May 10 bond vote
The Woodstock Public Library board will hold two virtual information sessions ahead of the May 10 bond vote on plans to move to the former Miller/Howard Investments building at 10 Dixon Avenue.
Sessions are scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 14 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 20 via Zoom and will include information on the proposed move and updates on any new developments. Attendees will have an opportunity to provide input.
The library is asking voters for approval to borrow $3.5 million to cover the cost of purchasing the building, renovating it to make it suitable for library use and moving equipment and materials to the new location.
Trustees say a bigger space is needed to fulfill the library’s plan of service and the current 5 Library Lane location is cramped, has limited parking and has mold and structural problems among other issues.
The 7 p.m. Thursday, April 14 session registration is at bit.ly/3LuzJVw.
The 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 20 registration is at bit.ly/3JT04wr.
More information about the project including floor plans and the reasons for the proposed move is available at woodstock.org/planning.
For general information on the Woodstock Library, see woodstock.org.
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