Natalie
I offer a few thoughts on your project, though none I fear is what you are really looking for. I have no experise in setting up or running such a project.
My concern is to remind you to take account of copyright. A newspaper consists of many different copyright works. The typographical arrangement of the page is no longer protected since all issues were published over 25 years ago, but individual articles, photographs and advertisements are separate copyright works. If they are anonymous (no author identified and you are unable to identify the author by reasonable enquiry) those issues of the paper, and everything in them, which were published in 1936 or earlier are no longer in copyright. However, any pieces by identified authors are protected for the life of that author plus 70 years, so the author must have died in 1936 or earlier. Every issue and all articles within it is protected if it was published in 1937 or later.
Your project should include provision for identifying works protected by copyright and for securing permission to copy (digitise) and publish. There would be no need to secure permission if the sole purpose of the digital copy is as a surrogate for the original, which will be made available only on-site with access very similar to access to the original. However, most digitisation projects wish to go further and make the fruits of their labours available to a wider audience, notably on a website. Without permission, copying for this purpose and communication to the public in this way are infringements of copyright. If the newspaper still exists, or the successor to the last owner of it is known, you should not have a problem since they are unlikely to be difficult about giving permission. If you cannot trace the owner, after taking effort to do so, the project manager must assess the risk of going ahead with the project without permission, and should cost the risk into the budget.
Tim
------------------
Tim Padfield
Information Policy Consultant
Public Sector Information Division
The National Archives
Kew
Richmond
Surrey TW9 4DU
Tel +44 (0)20 8392 5381
Fax +44 (0)20 8487 9219
Websites http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
http://www.opsi.gov.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Archivists, conservators and records managers.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Natalie Watson,
Somerset Museum Development Officer
Sent: 06 July 2007 09:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Digitising Periodicals
I have been asked by a small, volunteer run museum for some help and
advice in setting up a digitalisation project to make available to
researchers copies of the County Mail they recently purchased.
These are bound in years, of which I think they have 15 between 1902 and
the 1940s. Apparently the British Library tells us they don't have any
from before 1914, so several of the editions may be the only ones left.
We want to scan them and convert to searchable PDFs, hopefully with a
training element for museum volunteers, which would mean they could
continue after the funding runs out. I was wondering if you had any advice
on how to go about setting up such a project, the sort of technology and
training required, rough cost and whether you know of any similar projects?
Thanks for any help or suggestions you could make,
Natalie
Somerset MDO
--------
Natalie Watson,
Community Heritage & Museum Development Officer,
Somerset County Museum,
Castle Green,
Taunton,
TA1 4AA
Direct: 01823 320 203
Office: 01823 320 200
[log in to unmask]
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