Digital Archiving

As General Manager at scotsman.com Alistair Brown put forward the business case and oversaw the delivery of the The Scotsman Digital Archive. The project was initiated late in 2003, signed off by the business early in 2004 and a formal tender process took place during the first quarter of 2004. Phase one of the project was delivered within 6 months - covering the period 1817-1900 - launched on St Andrew’s Day (November the 30th) 2004. Phase two up to 1950 was launched in New York on Tartan Day, April 6th 2005 and was marked by the provision of a free trial for the duration of Tartan Week to anyone resident in North America.

Some highlights from press coverage as follows:

1. Martin Goodman, “A Wow for The Scotsman’s Digital Archive“:

“The British Library is digitizing runs of newspapers from 1800-1900, to be available online to colleges and universities. The Times is working its way back from the present day, reaching in to the 1980s so far. Google seems set on changing our world by digitizing whole libraries. For now, bravely and admirably and wondrously, The Scotsman is leading the way. You can buy your way into it for a daily rate. Give it a go. It’s a glimpse of the future, a firm hand-hold on the future, a thrill and a bargain.”

2. Journalism.co.uk reports the launch of the archive in November 2004 “Flying start for Scotsman digital archive“:

“During its first day online, the archive had pricing requests from eight universities, four libraries and museums and three local authorities, as well as universities in Australia and Canada.”

3. The BBC reports, “Paper breathes life into old news“:

“Several US and Dutch newspapers have put their archive online, but it is understood that the Scotsman is the first major UK publisher to make the move.”

“Historian Owen Dudley Edwards said: “One of the most important thing for a historian to do is not just to read what they are looking for but to read to the left of it and the right of it and all around it.

Digital archive page, Scotsman

 

“It enables you to get into your time machine and jump back into the spirit of the time you are talking about.

“Most historical investigation, if it is going to be any good at all, starts with the historian not really knowing what he or she is looking for.

“What they are really hoping to find is gold in the pages of the papers on whatever little clues they have.

“You have much more chance of finding what you are looking for if you are given the chance of searching for an hour, a week, or whatever.”

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