Local history enthusiasts have a new resource at their fingertips, with the Greater Sudbury Public Library releasing decades of historic newspapers online.
During an official launch at the Greater Sudbury Public Library’s main branch on Friday, librarians announced 15 years of The Sudbury Star had been added to the collection.
Dating 1910-1925, the newspapers chronicle 15 years of Sudbury’s early days.
This joins various other publications, including Northern Life, Sudbury.com’s precursor, in rounding out local history in the Greater Sudbury Heritage Database, which is available by clicking here.
It’s the product of a longstanding and ongoing effort, Greater Sudbury Public Library local history librarian Kristen Bertrand told Sudbury.com during Friday’s event.
Compiled from physical copies, microfiche and digital copies where available, the digitized newspapers have been compiled by staff and volunteers for the past several years.
“When COVID hit we realized we needed to begin bringing things to people where they’re at, so we started quietly releasing this database with Northern Live and Le Voyageur,” Bertrand said.
Much of the online database has been available for a few years, with The Sudbury Star 15-year collection new.
“The celebration and reminding people that we were quiet about it, as librarians tend to be, but this is out there and it does offer resources you can't find anywhere else online,” Bertrand said.
Although billed as 1910-25, she said there are some gaps.
1912, for example, is entirely missing.
“Nobody has it anywhere,” Bertrand said. “We do try to use multiple sources to compile a complete picture of the print run that’s in this collection."
It’s an ongoing effort, she clarified, noting that 1926 of The Sudbury Star is “in the hopper” and almost ready to be pushed online, and they’ve already digitized to the end of 1949.
Librarian and heritage resources manager Mette Kruger told Sudbury.com that they’re also working to fill the gap in Northern Life. Currently, years 1973-1990; 2003-2019 are available.
“Having the resources available anywhere you have an internet connection allows all that rich history available to everyone,” she said.
Financial support for the project was provided by the Sudbury District Archives Interest Group, a group of local history enthusiasts, and was made in memory of Arthur “Gord” Slade and Patricia Ann Slade. During Friday’s event, siblings Fred and Susan Murray spoke to their parents’ interest in local history, commending those involved for creating the online archives.
For history enthusiasts, missing gaps in the online newspaper archives might also be available in physical format at the library, including microfiche, upon request. The library’s local history archives are in the main branch’s basement.
Sudbury.com has used these archives for stories on the history of 249 Cedar St., parallels between the construction of the Sudbury Community Arena in 1951 and what has been happening with the ongoing event centre project to replace it, and a story on how the MacKenzie Street library (main branch) was built too small in 1952.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com