[OPLINLIST] Microfilm Digitization

Wed Jun 19 17:33:20 EDT 2024

Hello David, Morgan & all,

I just wanted to share my experience with a digitization vendor so that you can avoid it.

Our library used Newspaper Archive (then Heritage Archive) to digitize our newspaper collection in 2012. We paid for this and used their platform to share the contents with our patrons through their portal. A couple years ago, they told us that this service was no longer free, and put our content behind a paywall. We now have to pay a $800/yr subscription fee for access to our collection. In addition, it was a nightmare trying to get our master copies back from them.

I have recently found out that this is not an uncommon tactic for the big newspaper archive companies to use; it provides them content that they can sell to individuals/companies regardless of if you continue to subscribe or not. Just something to keep in mind as you compare companies and pricing.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

Elizabeth S. Wilson

Assistant Director and Community Relations Librarian

Granville Public Library

217 East Broadway

Granville, Ohio 43023

Phone: 740-587-0196 x115

Email: ewilson<mailto:ewilson at granvillelibrary.org>@granvillelibrary.org<mailto:ewilson at granvillelibrary.org>

www.granvillelibrary.org<https://www.granvillelibrary.org/>

[cid:fd3dd274-586d-4e12-b607-f40be18abfb8]

________________________________
From: OPLINLIST <oplinlist-bounces at lists.oplin.org> on behalf of Carrie Wimer via OPLINLIST <oplinlist at lists.oplin.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2024 11:12 AM
To: David Kite <mdavidkite at gmail.com>
Cc: oplinlist at lists.oplin.org <oplinlist at lists.oplin.org>
Subject: Re: [OPLINLIST] Microfilm Digitization

Hi David,

While there are exceptions for use in Libraries and Archives, copyright can get tricky so we are siding on the err of caution and obtaining permissions from the editors of the respective newspapers. Crowley requires permissions as part of their contract.

On Thu, Jun 13, 2024 at 10:39 AM David Kite via OPLINLIST <oplinlist at lists.oplin.org<mailto:oplinlist at lists.oplin.org>> wrote:
I am not in an Ohio library, but my Indiana library has a similar dilemma. We were going to ship ours off for digitization until we learned we may have the only existing copies of a large number of our rolls. Most freight ships without incident, but there are still lots of things that get lost or destroyed and we didn't want to take that chance either.

We are also in the process of replacing our older (decaying) acetate microfilm with polyester film, but we run into the same dilemma with having the only existing copies of many rolls. After speaking with our state archives and state library, we agreed that shipping them was too risky. We've been using the Indiana State Library to replace the films we both have copies of, but for the films they don't have, they recommended that someone from our library personally transport the unique films to the State Library. We are only an hour and a half away from them, so for us that is perfectly feasible, and drastically minimizes the shipping risk.

On the topic of digitization: a lot of our newspaper films are still under copyright. I'm not well versed enough in copyright law to know for sure, but for other libraries that have digitized microfilm, is digitization for library use allowed, or did you just not digitize copyrighted microfilm?

David Kite

On Wed, Jun 12, 2024 at 3:25 PM Morgan Paul via OPLINLIST <oplinlist at lists.oplin.org<mailto:oplinlist at lists.oplin.org>> wrote:

Hello,

Our friends group would like our microfilm digitized.

I would like it to be done with the Ohio Memory Project.

If you didn’t choose Ohio Memory, why didn’t you choose this option?

One concern is that some of our microfilm is the only copy and we don’t want to ship it out of the building.

Thanks,

Morgan

_____________________________________________________________

Morgan Paul, Director

St Marys Community Public Library

140 S Chestnut St

St Marys, Ohio  45885

smcpl.org<http://stmarys.lib.oh.us/>

419-394-7471

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