Friday, January 12, 2007

National Archives and Footnote to Digitalize Historic Documents

From the World History Blog, this Press Release on a new project to digitalize selected holdings from the National Archives:
(Press Release January 10) Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein and Footnote, Inc. CEO Russell Wilding today announced an agreement to digitize selected records from the vast holdings of the National Archives. The 4.5 million pages that have been digitized so far are now available at www.footnote.com/nara.
This non-exclusive agreement, beginning with the sizeable collection of materials currently on microfilm,will enable researchers and the general public to access millions of newly-digitized images of the National Archives historic records on a subscription basis from the Footnote web site. By February 6, the digitized materials will also be available at no charge in National Archives research rooms in Washington D.C. and regional facilities across the country. After an interval of five years, all images digitized through this agreement will be available at no charge through the National Archives web site.
"This is an exciting step forward for the National Archives," said Professor Weinstein. "It will immediately allow much greater access to approximately 4.5 million pages of important documents that are currently available only in their original format or on microfilm. The digitization of documents will also enhance our efforts to preserve our original records."“The partnership with the National Archives will expand significantly the content we are able to offer professional and amateur researchers,” said Footnote CEO Russell Wilding. “We will continue to add millions of original documents and images monthly. ”The following represents a portion of the millions of historic documents that will be made available as part of the National Archives - Footnote Agreement.

The following represents a portion of the millions of historic documents that will be made available as part of the National Archives - Footnote Agreement.

Papers of the Continental Congress (1774-89).

Mathew B. Brady Collection of Civil War Photographs.

Southern Claims Commission.

Name Index to Civil War and Later Pension Files.

Investigative Case Files of the Bureau of Investigation, 1908-22.

For descriptions of these collections and more information, click here.