PS-20464-91 Connecticut Newspaper Project Lynne H. Newell, Project Director Jane F

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Final Performance Report Grant Number: PS-20464-91 Connecticut Newspaper Project Lynne H. Newell, Project Director Jane F. Cullinane, Project Coordinator Connecticut State Library 231 Capitol Ave., Hartford CT 06106 Oct. 31, 2002

Compilation of two reports from the Connecticut Newspaper Project submitted to the National Endowment in 2002.

FINAL REPORT: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FINAL PERFORMANCE REPORT

CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPER PROJECT FINAL REPORT: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

From July 1991 to July 2002, the Connecticut State Library’s Connecticut Newspaper Project (CNP) worked to improve access to, and to preserve Connecticut’s newspaper heritage. The Project received funds from grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, with contributions by the State Library.

The two major products of this effort are the bibliographic and holdings information on the 7,161 American newspapers owned by 280 repositories in the state, and 2,292 reels of microfilm preserving 1,094,446 pages of 437 Connecticut newspapers. Another, less direct, product was an increase in awareness of the importance of preserving newspapers on microfilm as demonstrated by filming efforts by local libraries and historical societies.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS – CATALOGING AND UNION LISTING PHASE From October 1991-June 1994, the cataloging staff called and visited 279 libraries, historical societies, publisher’s offices, museums and other newspaper repositories. Information was collected about every American newspaper owned by these institutions. In CNP terminology a “holding” is defined as all the issues of one title located at one institution. By June 1997, CNP identified 14,876 holdings of 7,151 newspapers, that is, there were 1,851 titles from Connecticut and 5,300 from other states. Since then, 10 more titles have been identified and cataloged, bringing the total to 7,161.

Bibliographic and holdings information were updated on OCLC, an international online library database, to show researchers what each institution owns. This information becomes part of the annual e-publication of the Connecticut Union List of Serials (CULS) as a segment of Project reQuest, the statewide online library catalog (http://www.iconn.org/libcat.html, select “reQuest Serials Catalog”). It was also printed in a three-volume set called Newspapers in Connecticut Institutions, updated through June 1997.

Because many publishers’ offices and some private collectors did not want their holdings published, the 280 organizations in the project database dropped to 222 in the online and printed lists. Even so, these resources now contain 14,551 holdings statements for American newspapers held in Connecticut institutions. Despite the holdings that were not published, researchers’ access to information on Connecticut newspaper titles and holdings is substantially greater than with the previous reference sources, as seen in the chart below. Holdings that were not published are still known to the staff of the State Library through the project database. This information was used as microfilming was planned and conducted.

Resource Years covered Conn. Titles Locations Brigham 1755-1820 79 titles in 83 institutions Gregory 1820-1936 453 titles in 57 institutions Gustafson 1755-1975 995 titles in 79 institutions Newspapers in … 1755-1997 1,851 titles in 222 institutions Clarence S. Brigham, History and bibliography of American newspapers, 1690-1820 (Worcester, Mass., American Antiquarian Society, 1947) Winifred Gregory, American newspapers, 1821-1936 (New York, H.W. Wilson, 1937) Don Gustafson, A Preliminary Checklist of Connecticut Newspapers (Hartford, Conn., Connecticut State Library, 1978) Newspapers in Connecticut Institutions, updated through June 1997 (Hartford, Connecticut State Library, 1997)

Appendices increased the information value of Newspapers in Connecticut institutions. The appendices included a list of existing indexes and their location created by asking survey participants if they had an index to the contents to their local newspapers, and charts that show the various titles of the larger families of related newspapers. The information on indexes is at http://www.cslib.org/cnp/indexes.htm on the State Library website and the charts are in process of being mounted on the Internet. For now users can refer to the printed volumes that were distributed to each participating institution and are available for sale (at cost).

ACCOMPLISHMENTS – PRESERVATION MICROFILMING PHASE Microfilming began in the spring of 1995 with the 54,396 pages of the three titles in the Deep River new era family of newspapers (published in Chester and Deep River, Conn., from 1874-1977) producing 69 reels of film. The microfilming phase continued, in three rounds from May 1996 to July 2002, using the established procedures and workspace.

The CNP Advisory Board affirmed the selection criteria and established the priorities for action. Each round of filming took on greater challenges than the one before. In the pilot project (1995-1996) only three titles in one family of newspapers were filmed, with issues borrowed from only two lenders. For the next round (1996- 1998), eight titles in four families were prepared, filmed and inspected, creating 494 reels of film preserving 236,412 pages. The issues for these families were borrowed from 12 institutions. The relative simplicity of the first two rounds of filming allowed CNP to firm up the microfilming contract specifications and procedures for disbinding, repairing, and collating the newspapers (putting them in correct order), targeting (adding information sheets to the microfilm), and inspecting the film.

Each of the two remaining rounds (1998-2000 and 2000-2002) had distinct title lists but the difficulties of borrowing multiple titles from multiple lenders meant that some titles were delayed till later and some were moved up on the list. In our innocence, we selected 426 titles from 116 families for filming over four years. The issues came from 83 libraries, historical societies, museums and publishers. In short, things got complicated, but in the end it all got done and 1,729 reels of film were produced, preserving 803,638 pages.

Final statistics: 2,292 reels of microfilm preserving 121 families, 437 titles, and the content of 1,094,446 pages of deteriorating newspapers from all regions of the state. The microfilm is available at the State Library and at the institutions that loaned newspapers. The State Library microfilm can also be requested through Interlibrary Loan.

PLANS TO CONTINUE NOW THAT THE GRANT-FUNDED PROJECT HAS ENDED Janis Lefkowitz, the Coordinator for the Connecticut Union List of Serials at the State Library, maintains regular contact with all the participants in the Connecticut Newspaper Project. At least once a year she gathers updates to their holdings information and enters the changes on OCLC.

The Preservation Office at the State Library is continuing many of the microfilming goals of the CNP. Work is still needed to educate local institutions about preservation microfilming. While the calculations haven’t been revisited lately, in 1999 it was estimated that 2.75 million pages needed preservation on microfilm. Since June 1999, CNP has completed its work filming approximately 745,127 pages. Other institutions have filmed approximately 273,000 pages on their own. This still leaves over 1,000,000 pages in need of filming.

Of the 169 towns in the state, CNP filmed newspapers from 92. Another 30 never had newspapers. But these facts do not show the number of towns where microfilming is still needed. Only 25 towns are completely caught up with microfilming every newspaper; 114 towns have at least one title that awaits preservation.

The Preservation Office will continue to encourage local libraries, historical societies and publishers to film their town newspapers. New England Micrographics, the company that did much of the filming for CNP, estimates that it costs just $100 to $150 to film a weekly newspaper, if it is done annually (last year’s newspapers). This fact will be promoted to encourage more regular filming projects.

Starting next fiscal year, an annual allocation will be used to continue microfilming newspapers in the State Library’s collection. One of the last titles selected by CNP was the New Haven evening leader (1892-July 1916, 92,862 pages). Work on this title is not complete. Collation has begun on issues from Aug. 1916-1926. Already over 25,000 pages are ready for filming. Obviously more repositories need to contribute to this effort and the State Library will continue to promote the need for preservation microfilming.

Final Performance Report Grant Number: PS-20464-91

Connecticut Newspaper Project

Lynne H. Newell, Project Director Jane F. Cullinane, Project Coordinator Connecticut State Library 231 Capitol Ave., Hartford CT 06106 Oct. 31, 2002 Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS ACCOMPLISHMENTS – CATALOGING AND UNION LISTING PHASE ...... 3 ACCOMPLISHMENTS – PRESERVATION MICROFILMING PHASE ...... 3 BRIEF HISTORY OF NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING IN CONNECTICUT ...... 4

HIGHLIGHT: INTERESTING AND UNIQUE INFORMATION IN NEWSPAPERS ...... 5 CATALOGING AND UNION LISTING PHASE ...... 5

HIGHLIGHT: LONG AND COMPLEX HISTORY OF NEWSPAPERS ...... 6 MICROFILMING PHASE ...... 6 SELECTING NEWSPAPERS FOR FILMING ...... 6 BORROWING NEWSPAPERS FROM MANY SOURCES FOR MICROFILMING ...... 7

HIGHLIGHT: ETHNIC AND MINORITY NEWSPAPERS WERE MICROFILMED ...... 8 STAFF OF THE CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPER PROJECT ...... 8 PUBLICITY EFFORTS ...... 9 PLANS TO CONTINUE NOW THAT THE GRANT-FUNDED PROJECT HAS ENDED ...... 9

HIGHLIGHT: MULTIPLE EFFORTS TO FILM THE NORWICH BULLETIN ...... 10 APPENDICES ...... 11 CONNECTICUT TOWNS WITH NEWSPAPERS, & NEWSPAPERS FILMED BY CNP ...... 11 USNP QUARTERLY STATISTICAL REPORT: CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPER PROJECT (CNW) ...... 12 HOLDINGS OF NEWSPAPERS IN CONNECTICUT, BY COUNTY ...... 13 HOLDINGS OF NEWSPAPERS IN CONNECTICUT, BY TYPE OF INSTITUTION ...... 13 SAMPLE PAGE FROM NEWSPAPERS IN CONNECTICUT INSTITUTIONS ...... 14 CHART SHOWING THE RELATIONSHIPS OF SOME NORWICH NEWSPAPERS ...... 15 SELECTION CRITERIA FOR THE PRESERVATION MICROFILMING OF CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPERS, 2000-2003 ...... 16 ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS ...... 16 NEWSPAPERS FROM 94 TOWNS WERE PRESERVED ON MICROFILM BY CNP ...... 17 NEWSPAPERS PRESERVED ON MICROFILM BY CNP, BY COUNTY ...... 18 92 INSTITUTIONS LOANED NEWSPAPERS TO CNP FOR MICROFILMING ...... 19 NEWSPAPERS MICROFILMED BY THE CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPER PROJECT, ARRANGED BY AREA COVERED ...... 20 NEWSPAPERS MICROFILMED BY THE CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPER PROJECT, ARRANGED BY SPECIAL TOPICS ...... 21 MICROFILMING EFFORTS BY OTHER CONNECTICUT INSTITUTIONS, SINCE 1991 ...... 22 ARTICLES AND PUBLICITY FOR THE CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPER PROJECT ...... 23 MOST RECENT CNP BROCHURE ...... 25 READ ALL ABOUT IT! (ARTICLE FROM NEW YORK TIMES)...... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPER PROJECT HOMEPAGE ...... 29 NEWSPAPERS [FROM STATE LIBRARY HISTORY & GENEALOGY UNIT HOMEPAGE] ...... 30

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 3

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 4

Final statistics: 2,292 reels of microfilm preserving 121 families, 437 titles, and the content of 1,094,446 pages of deteriorating newspapers from all regions of the state. A map in the appendices shows both those Connecticut towns where newspapers have been published and also those where CNP has done some filming.

BRIEF HISTORY OF NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING IN CONNECTICUT The first Connecticut newspapers were published along the shoreline during the 1750s. The Connecticut gazette was founded in 1755 at New Haven and the New London summary began in 1758. The first inland paper was the Connecticut courant in Hartford, started in 1764. Five newspapers were begun before the beginning of the Revolutionary War and by the close of the eighteenth century, seventeen newspapers were being published. Another ten newspapers had brief existences during this period.

Newspapers were published weekly throughout this period. The first semi-weekly to appear was the Times & Hartford advertiser in 1825. Daily newspaper publication began in 1832 with the Daily herald (New Haven, Conn.: 1832) and the New England daily review began publication in Hartford the following year. By the middle of the nineteenth century, Connecticut had eight dailies, twenty-eight weeklies, and four semiweekly or other frequencies. As the country's centennial approached in 1875, 78 newspapers were being published in the state, including 17 dailies and 51 weeklies.

The first recorded ethnic newspaper published in the state was a German paper called the Hartforder Zeitung (1858). In all, 29 German newspapers were published during the last half of the 19th century; however, by 1900, only eight were still in operation. Just as many Italian newspapers have been published in Connecticut, but most started production after 1900 and ceased publication by the end of World War II. The Hartford herald (1918) is the earliest African American newspaper recorded, but no issues have been found. Newspapers for African Americans proliferated in the 1970s and this continues to the present. Other ethnic groups contributed to the rich history of newspaper publishing in Connecticut.

Newspaper publishing reached its peak around the turn of the century when 102 different titles were being produced. In 1900, the larger cities had three or four dailies each; New Haven had three morning and three evening papers. During the 20th century, the number of daily newspapers published dwindled from 42 dailies in 1900 to the 18 that exist today. Now only one daily newspaper is published in each of Connecticut's largest cities.

In contrast, the number of weekly (and other frequency) publications fluctuated from 60 in 1900, dipping briefly during the World War II era, and rising to 134 by 1997. A major difference is that conglomerates now publish many of Connecticut’s newspapers. Sixteen companies within the state publish a combined total of 69 newspapers; the Journal Register Co. owns five of these companies and publishes 28 newspapers. Often these titles share managerial and advertising staff and publish a combined section of ads and regional news, as well as a section of local news.

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 5

HIGHLIGHT: INTERESTING AND UNIQUE INFORMATION IN NEWSPAPERS Notes from one issue of the Norwich bulletin illustrate the interest and importance of our old newspapers. The March 12, 1901 issue contains not only international, national and statewide news, but also such local items as: a severe storm washed out the streets and the railway tracks in Norwich, schools in Putnam were closed due to the storm, the new bridge opened for traffic in Fitchville, a turkey supper at the Methodist Episcopal church at Uncasville raised $39, shortstop “Hobe” Ferris is leaving Norwich for the American League team in Boston, Dr. G.R. Harris will sue the town of Preston because of an accident that occurred due to poor roads, and the Rock Nook Children’s Home acknowledges donations of groceries, clothing, and books.

For more information on newspaper publishing in Connecticut, the following sources can be consulted: "Newspapers and Periodicals of Connecticut" by Charles Hopkins Clark and Everett G. Hill, published in History of Connecticut in monographic form (New York: States History Co., 1925), and Connecticut newspapers in the Eighteenth Century by Jarvis Means Morse (New Haven, Published for the Tercentenary Commission by Yale University Press, 1935)

CATALOGING AND UNION LISTING PHASE GOALS (from plan of work, July 1991-June 1994) Goal 1: Catalog and union list up to 5,000 titles and 8,3145 holdings. Goal 2: Create and distribute paper union list of newspaper holdings. Goal 3: Publicize project through brochures, list of missing titles, press releases, and exhibits at the library association conference.

GOALS (from plan of work, July 1994-June 1996) Goal 1: Complete the cataloging and inventory fieldwork by August 1994 (12 sites with 536 holdings). Goal 2: Catalog and inventory at Yale University (2,710 titles) from September 1994-June 1996. Goal 3: Contact organizations that did not respond to the original survey with a special emphasis on ethnic organizations. Catalog and inventory their collections. Goal 4: Develop procedures, establish a multi-vendor contract, hire and train staff, gather, prepare and film 60,000 pages of newspapers. Inspect the completed film.

All of the goals of the cataloging phase were completed. Only one goal was completed without a truly satisfactory outcome. To meet Goal 3 a database of names and addresses of 148 ethnic and minority organizations was created. To publicize the project in communities that might otherwise be missed, a survey and letter urged that collections held by the organization be reported and asked for information leading to other organizations or individuals that held ethnic or minority newspapers. Although several who responded reported known collections, disappointingly, no new collections were reported.

To prepare for the Cataloging and Union Listing Phase, the Planning Phase of the Connecticut Newspaper Project was conducted from July 1988-November 1989. A survey drew responses from 216 repositories with 1,678 Connecticut titles and 3,147 out-of-state titles. It was expected that 8,139 holdings statements would be created. Based on this information the cataloging phase was planned to run from October 1991-June 1994.

The holdings of the State Library were the first to be cataloged and inventoried, followed by the collections of the Connecticut Historical Society. These represent the two largest collections of Connecticut titles. Then 118 other institutions were visited and the remaining institutions were called to confirm their holdings. Institutions that warranted visits included those with more than 25 newspaper holdings and with holdings of the earliest issues of Connecticut titles. Since Connecticut is a relatively small state most fieldwork was conducted as day trips using a State vehicle.

But many institutions had not reported all their holdings and more time was needed to complete the work. Even with a thorough survey of the State Library holdings during the Planning Phase, 22% more titles were discovered during the cataloging and inventorying. Work at other institutions resulted in an average 108% increase in the number of holdings. This was due to several factors: current subscriptions were not included in the original database, institutions had added to their holdings since the survey was conducted, and some institutions had only reported their long runs or frequently used newspapers despite the planning survey’s specific request to include newspapers held in local history collections or similar special collections. The cataloging phase was continued to June 1996.The total number of repositories rose to 279, cataloged Connecticut titles numbered 1,851, out-of-state titles grew to 5,300 and holdings increased to 14,876.

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 6

It makes sense to catalog all parts of a newspaper family together. Not only do newspapers often change their names but they also have related editions with a similar or the same title. Often these editions are interfiled or confused with other titles in the same family. One of the catalogers was a genealogist and from her we were inspired to chart the relationships between newspapers, rather like a family tree. This graphical representation of the relationships was especially helpful during our fieldwork. It made it easier to see which was the correct bibliographic record for an issue and allowed the inventory process to move faster. The charts were included in the printed Newspapers in Connecticut Institutions and a sample is in the appendices.

HIGHLIGHT: LONG AND COMPLEX HISTORY OF NEWSPAPERS The Norwich bulletin has served Norwich and surrounding communities for over a century. The Norwich morning bulletin was first published on Dec. 15, 1858. The Bulletin merged with its rival, the Norwich courier, in 1860 and readers were served by the daily Bulletin and weekly Courier until Oct. 31, 1930. At that time the weekly was discontinued. Simultaneously the publisher had been issuing another daily newspaper, the Norwich evening record. The two daily newspapers were issued through out the first half of the 20th century, and subscribers of both newspapers received the same Sunday newspaper. The daily Record was discontinued in 1950, but the Sunday issue of the Bulletin was called the Norwich Sunday record until 1957 and the Norwich bulletin record until 1981.

MICROFILMING PHASE GOALS (from plan of work May 2000-April 2002) Goal 1: Establish a contract, retain existing staff, hire two more general workers, use existing procedures, and gather, prepare, and film 923,925 pages of 293 newspapers following the priorities approved by the Advisory Board. Inspect the completed film. Goal 2: Forge cooperative relationships with local institutions and newspaper publishers to gather complete runs and to share the cost of filming. Goal 3: Use the Connecticut Newspaper Project WWW homepage, brochures, press releases and other means such as attendance at conferences around the state to promote preservation microfilming of newspapers by local institutions for ongoing needs and for further publicity in finding missing issues and new titles. Goal 4: Offer information to local institutions about the proper storage of master negatives or offer storage space in the vault at the Connecticut State Library, which meets all appropriate ANSI/AIIM standards. Goal 5: Update cataloging information in OCLC as needed, update holdings information on OCLC and in the project database for master negatives and as microfilm is created by the CNP and by local projects.

The goals listed in earlier plans of work for the microfilming phase differ, for the most part, only in the details of the number of pages to be filmed. The plan of work for 1996-1998 mentioned a multi-vendor contract for the microfilming but this was abandoned as too difficult to accomplish within the state purchasing procedures. A contract went out to bid and was signed with a single vendor for each round of the microfilming phase.

All the work described in goal 1 (gather, prepare, film and inspect) has been completed. To accomplish this, CNP borrowed newspapers from 92 institutions in 11 states, thus also meeting goal 2 (cooperate with others). In addition, the State Library loaned its newspapers and shared microfilm specifications with other institutions to ensure filming of still more Connecticut newspapers. Articles in the State Library and Connecticut Library Association (CLA) newsletters and local newspapers, attendance at the CLA annual conference and information on the project internet site (http://www.cslib.org/cnp.htm) and State Library History and Genealogy Unit site (http://www.cslib.org/newspapers.htm) combined to meet goal 3 (publicity). Examples are given in the appendices. Local institutions were counseled about the storage conditions for their master negatives, meeting goal 4, and three (Guilford Free Library, North Haven Memorial Library and Windsor Locks Historical Society), deposited their masters in the State Library vault, which meets the national standards for storage of master negative microfilm.

Goal 5 is not quite complete at this time. Some original holdings statements were deleted as holdings were transferred to other institutions and many were added to show the acquisition of the new microfilm. Updates to OCLC and the project database are still needed for the last group of newspapers to be microfilmed. State Library staff will complete this work in the next month. It is estimated that records in OCLC will rise to 16,267 holdings for 7,161 titles.

SELECTING NEWSPAPERS FOR FILMING One goal of the microfilming phase was to call together a microfilming selection committee, later called the CNP Advisory Board, to draw up a comprehensive plan for filming all Connecticut newspapers and to set priorities for achieving the plan. Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 7

Nominations were sought from the Connecticut Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History, the Connecticut Daily Newspaper Association, the Connecticut Historical Society, the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Connecticut League of Historical Societies, the Connecticut Library Association, the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, the State Archivist, the State Historian, the Ethnic Heritage Center, the University of Connecticut, and Yale University.

The members of the Advisory Board met in two rounds to select the newspapers to be filmed. Membership changed between rounds but all members are listed here: John Breen, University of Connecticut; Ellen Embardo, University of Connecticut; Dr. Robert J. Fitzsimmons, Connecticut Society of Genealogists; David Rhinelander, Connecticut Daily Newspaper Association; Judith Schiff, Yale University; Donna Siemiatkoski, Connecticut Society of Genealogists; and Dr. Bruce Stark, Connecticut State Archives. Project Coordinator Jane F. Cullinane met with the board members six times from Dec. 5, 1997 to May 22, 1998 and five times from Apr. 9, 1999 to June 4, 1999. Full contact information for the Board can be found in the appendices.

After the first round of meetings, the Board approved 373 titles from 91 towns. The titles on this first list were chosen primarily because they fit the criteria judged to be most important: titles from towns with no newspapers on film, or titles that filled a gap in the years preserved on film for each town. Most were published between 1850 and 1950. A few were for specific ethnic or racial groups or were about special topics, such as temperance.

In 1999, the Board reviewed the Selection Criteria once again. It became clear that the largest group of titles remaining in the top two criteria (towns with nothing on film, and filming to fill gaps) were published since 1950. The order of priorities was changed so that titles known to be at great risk of deterioration, and titles with special research value including amateur and handwritten newspapers became the top two priorities. More titles were then added to ensure the entire run of a “family” was included, and the Board selected some post-1950 newspapers from towns with no newspapers on film. This brought the total selected for the last two rounds of filming to 426 titles (803,635 pages) from 78 towns or on 16 special topics. The revised priority order for selection is shown in the appendices.

BORROWING NEWSPAPERS FROM MANY SOURCES FOR MICROFILMING Our experience was generally positive as we sought to borrow the issues needed to fill out runs of the newspapers selected for filming. Because the best, most readable image of a page is achieved when the paper is flat, disbound, and in good repair, this is what we requested when seeking to borrow a newspaper. Most libraries, historical societies and publishers were delighted to cooperate and loaned their newspapers eagerly. A few refused entirely and others had special handling requirements such as no disbinding. A loan agreement form spelled out what was borrowed and what treatment the lending institution permitted.

Complexities arose when issues had to be borrowed from more than one or two institutions at the same time. Not only were we trying to fill gaps in long runs by borrowing whole volumes of newspapers, we were also trying to film the only known issue of numerous short-lived newspapers. For many titles that met the selection criteria, only one or a few issues were known to exist; in fact, 247 of the 437 titles we filmed had fewer than 100 pages. These were grouped in the best, most logical, way possible resulting in so-called “families” of unrelated newspapers (not by the same publisher) that were filmed together. In the appendices is a sample from the CNP homepage that shows the special topic (ethnic, temperance, etc.) newspapers. The sample shows how unrelated titles, usually just one or two issues of a newspaper that was available for filming, were grouped as a “family.”

For example, twenty titles were filmed on two reels called “Connecticut prohibition newspapers, 1829-1911”. The issues came from 10 institutions and it was a challenge to borrow from so many lenders all at once. Remember this family was just one of many being handled at the same time. Numerous phone calls and emails were needed to get permission from the appropriate authority at each institution to borrow their newspapers. Newspapers had to be picked up or shipped. If one institution ran into a snag that delayed delivery of an issue, then the filming of every other title was delayed. Sometimes Institution A wanted its newspapers back before Institution B had loaned us the other issues we needed to complete the reel.

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 8

HIGHLIGHT: ETHNIC AND MINORITY NEWSPAPERS WERE MICROFILMED Aside from our disappointment at not finding new collections of ethnic and minority newspapers, the microfilming phase preserved every available issue of 42 titles in this category, including all ethnic and minority newspapers published before 1950 that were not already on microfilm. Fourteen German language newspapers have been found and filmed by CNP, as were newspapers in French (1), Hungarian (2), Italian (16), Lithuanian (1), Spanish (1), and Swedish (1) plus six in English intended for the Italian-American, African-American, and Jewish audiences. This includes the earliest available foreign language newspaper published in Connecticut, the German weekly Hartforder Zeitung that began in April 1858. Only one issue is known to exist although it is thought to have continued publication for a few months.

When filming was completed and the film inspected and approved, the newspapers were returned to the lending institutions and holdings were added to OCLC. They were added to Project reQuest, the statewide database, in the next annual update. Again, this step was another big undertaking, especially for those reels of film that contain many unrelated newspapers. The family called “Connecticut Foreign Language Newspapers, 1907-1938” includes 16 titles borrowed from 5 institutions. Each institution gets a holdings statement on OCLC for each title. In addition, a second statement is added for the State Library to show the location of the master negative for each title, and changes are made in the details about who owns which original issues. A total of 102 holdings statements were added or changed for just this one reel of film. Admittedly, this was the worst case but it demonstrates the painstaking and tedious nature of the task.

STAFF OF THE CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPER PROJECT The following individuals contributed to the accomplishments of CNP: Project Director: Lynne Newell (1987-2002) Project Coordinator: Barry Wood (1987-1991), Jane F. Cullinane, (1991-2002) Catalogers: Wanda Meck (1991-1995), Marcia Matika (1992-1996), Ted Wohlsen (1996) Clerk: Wes Jackson (1992), George Miller Jr. (1995-2001) General Worker: Cynthia Levay (1996-1997), Angela Naylor (1997-2002), Rochel London (1998-2000), Shevann Thomas (1998-2001) Library Technical Assistant: Glenn Sherman (1996-2002), John Lenehan (2002) Microfilm Project Librarian: Laura Moulton (1999-2000), Karen Nadeski (2001-2002)

Throughout the life of the project, assistance was also provided by the secretaries to the Project Director: Ellen Morrison, AnneMarie Costello, and Ursula Hunt. The State Library Bibliographic Information Services, headed by Tom Geoffino and, later by Stephen Slovasky advised on cataloging problems. In addition, BIS provided a part- time cataloger, Carolyn Giliberto, who finished the last cataloging needed for the State Library collection when the CNP staff began work at other sites. Connecticut Union List of Serials coordinator Janis Lefkowitz advised on adding newspaper holdings information to the OCLC Union List, and in publishing and distributing the annual union list including the newspapers. Conservator Karl Kallio and Photo-Duplication section supervisor Andre Bascom advised on treatment and housing of fragile newspapers and the creation of brochures and pamphlets, respectively.

Staff who worked less than one month are not included. This category consists chiefly of general workers who often were students working during school breaks. It also includes a clerk, a cataloger, and two library technical assistants. In fact, staff turnover was one of the challenges facing CNP. For example, there was a six-month gap between the departure of Laura Moulton, Microfilm Project Librarian in October 2000 and the arrival of Karen Nadeski in April 2001. When Library Technical Assistant Glenn Sherman took a permanent position in the Preservation Office of the State Library, he had to start his new duties and simultaneously continue his CNP duties for twelve months until a replacement could be hired by CNP.

These gaps naturally had an impact on the amount of work that could get done. Other staff had to pick up the slack and only the most important tasks were done. When new staff came on board, the normal flow of work was restored slowly, due to the substantial learning curve. This is true at every level: staff are not available for hire who are already knowledgeable as entry-level newspaper catalogers, microfilming project librarians, library technical assistants who know how to do reel programming, or even general workers who know how to disbind, collate and repair newspapers.

A look at the quarterly statistics show the delays caused by this problem. The cataloging phase ended officially in June 1996 but holdings were still being added to OCLC through the April-June 1997 quarter. Microfilming ended Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 9

in July 2002 but holdings statements to show the existence of the new film are still being added as of this writing. This work is expected to be completed in the next month.

PUBLICITY EFFORTS Articles about CNP were published in various community newspapers throughout the run of the project. During the cataloging phase, the articles concentrated on our effort to locate and catalog Connecticut newspapers and often stressed the interesting and unusual newspapers that were published in the state. For example, an article in the Bethel home news for Aug. 3, 1994 highlights other, older newspapers published in the town, using information gathered by CNP. Later articles stressed that newspapers were needed to complete our bibliographic knowledge or to fill gaps in the run to be microfilmed.

Major articles appeared in regional newspapers like the Herald press [New Britain and Middletown], the Hartford courant, and the Connecticut edition of the New York Times. Other articles reached the library audience through the newsletters of the Connecticut Library Association and the State Library. John J. Connell, Jr. of the Library of Congress has compiled a bibliography of all articles about projects in the United States Newspaper Program, including CNP at http://lcweb.loc.gov/preserv/newsbiblio.html. A more complete list is in the appendices, giving the full citation for each of these articles. In addition, a copy of the New York Times article is included.

The article in the Hartford courant appeared in March 1998. The full text can be found on the CNP site at http://www.cslib.org/carticle.htm. The article stressed the importance of newspapers for historical research, especially genealogical research, the need for preservation microfilm and the variety of newspapers published in the state. After the article appeared, thirty-four citizens called seeking information about newspapers they owned. Many were interested in donating their newspapers to the State Library or another institution. As it turns out, many of these titles had already been the object of microfilming project. However, one person donated 21 previously unknown issues of the Litchfield County leader from 1892.

Early efforts to send a press release to local libraries, historical societies and town newspapers when a newspaper was selected for microfilming had some small success in generating additional issues to fill gaps in the run to be filmed. Our first filming project, the family of the Deep River new era, did not gain any issues as a result of the article that appeared in the Main Street news (June 27/July 10, 1996). But two private collectors loaned issues in the family of the Stafford press as a result of word-of-mouth information and another loaned a few issues of the Woodbury reporter due to a newspaper article in Voices on Feb. 11, 1998.

The effort to send out press releases was discontinued in the last two rounds of the grant, more a result of the pressure of work than by choice. Even though little resulted in the way of additional issues made available for filming, the continued presence of CNP in news articles would have kept the notion of the preservation microfilming before the public and the boards of libraries, historical societies and newspaper publishers.

CNP did maintain a presence at the annual meeting of the Connecticut Library Association with a poster and brochures in the exhibits hall. The CNP homepage http://www.cslib.org/cnp.htm and the State Library’s History and Genealogy (H&G) Unit’s “Connecticut Newspaper Resources” page, http://www.cslib.org/newspapers.htm, continue to present information gathered by CNP to the public. A copy of the most recent brochure and the first page of the CNP homepage and H&G Newspaper page are in the appendices.

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 10

Of the 169 towns in the state, CNP filmed newspapers from 92. Another 30 never had newspapers. The map in the appendices illustrates these facts. What it does not show is the number of towns where microfilming is still needed. Only 25 towns are completely caught up with microfilming every newspaper; 114 towns have at least one title that awaits preservation.

The majority of what remains to be filmed is an ever-growing category: the post-1950 weekly newspapers that do not get filmed on an annual basis and are still being published. They could be the basis for another major microfilming project. The Preservation Office will continue to encourage local libraries, historical societies and publishers to film their town newspapers. New England Micrographics, the company that did much of the filming for CNP, estimates that it costs just $100 to $150 to film a weekly newspaper, if it is done annually (last year’s newspapers). This fact will be promoted to encourage more regular filming projects.

Cooperative filming projects like the one the State Library has with the North Haven Memorial Library can serve as a model. Each year, North Haven sends the town newspaper to be filmed and pays the full cost, including two service copies. One service copy is sent to the State Library with a bill that reflects half the cost of the total project (not just the cost of one extra service copy).

HIGHLIGHT: MULTIPLE EFFORTS TO FILM THE NORWICH BULLETIN Using newspapers from the collection of the State Library and the publisher, CNP filmed 1900-1949 of the Norwich bulletin. At that time only 1982 to the present had been filmed, the result of an annual commitment by the publisher to preserve current issues. At this time (October 2002), the Otis Library in Norwich, Conn. is working with the State Library and a vendor to write the specifications to film portions of the Norwich bulletin, starting with 1899 and gradually going back to 1858. The Otis Library, which now possesses the holdings of the publisher’s office, will borrow from the State Library as needed.

The Norwich bulletin represents another major category of newspaper that still needs microfilming. About 75 years (1858-1899 and 1950-1981) still need filming. Although the Otis Library is addressing this particular title, other pre- 1950 daily and weekly newspapers are deteriorating on all repository’s shelves. Starting next fiscal year, an annual allocation will be used to continue microfilming newspapers in the State Library’s collection. One of the last titles selected by CNP was the New Haven evening leader (1892-July 1916, 92,862 pages). Work on this title is not complete. Collation has begun on issues from Aug. 1916-1926. Already over 25,000 pages are ready for filming. Obviously more repositories need to contribute to this effort and the State Library will continue to promote the need for preservation microfilming. Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 11

APPENDICES CONNECTICUT TOWNS WITH NEWSPAPERS, & NEWSPAPERS FILMED BY CNP

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 12

USNP QUARTERLY STATISTICAL REPORT: CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPER PROJECT (CNW) Quarter Cataloged Total LDRs input Total LDrs revised Total Pages Filmed Total Reels Total Dec 1991 26 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mar 1992 148 174 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jun 1992 161 335 275 275 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sep 1992 187 522 305 580 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dec 1992 290 812 295 875 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mar 1993 542 1,354 438 1,313 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jun 1993 248 1,602 609 1,922 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sep 1993 421 2,023 244 2,166 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dec 1993 303 2,326 1 2,167 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mar 1994 299 2,625 58 2,225 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jun 1994 544 3,169 0 2,225 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sep 1994 313 3,482 427 2,652 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dec 1994 483 3,965 142 2,794 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mar 1995 555 4,520 7 2,801 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jun 1995 1,216 5,736 44 2,845 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sep 1995 848 6,584 0 2,845 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dec 1995 336 6,920 17 2,862 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mar 1996 206 7,126 1,375 4,237 149 149 0 0 0 0 Jun 1996 3 7,129 2,762 6,999 317 466 0 0 0 0 Sep 1996 0 7,129 2,366 9,365 665 1,131 0 0 0 0 Dec 1996 3 7,132 2,150 11,515 115 1,246 0 0 0 0 Mar 1997 1 7,133 627 12,142 0 1,246 51,048 51,048 67 67 Jun 1997 18 7,151 763 12,905 400 1,646 3,856 54,904 5 72 Sep 1997 0 7,151 0 12,905 0 1,646 14,238 69,142 15 87 Dec 1997 0 7,151 0 12,905 0 1,646 17,911 87,053 33 120 Mar 1998 0 7,151 3 12,908 0 1,646 11,000 98,053 19 139 Jun 1998 0 7,151 0 12,908 0 1,646 72,876 170,929 155 294 Sep 1998 0 7,151 4 12,912 3 1,649 56,552 227,481 131 425 Dec 1998 0 7,151 12 12,924 8 1,657 67,381 294,862 151 576 Mar 1999 0 7,151 22 12,946 5 1,662 35,561 330,423 74 650 Jun 1999 0 7,151 0 12,946 6 1,668 18,896 349,319 33 683 Sep 1999 2 7,153 51 12,997 23 1,691 66,229 415,548 114 797 Dec 1999 0 7,153 152 13,149 38 1,729 47,410 462,958 87 884 Mar 2000 0 7,153 196 13,345 33 1,762 75,906 538,864 134 1,018 Jun 2000 2 7,155 113 13,458 31 1,793 79,732 618,596 166 1,184 Sep 2000 0 7,155 194 13,652 37 1,830 85,321 703,917 164 1,348 Dec 2000 2 7,157 18 13,670 13 1,843 31,137 735,054 78 1,426 Mar 2001 0 7,157 3 13,673 1 1,844 40,627 775,681 102 1,528 Jun 2001 3 7,160 43 13,716 15 1,859 47,695 823,376 102 1,630 Sep 2001 0 7,160 25 13,741 19 1,878 56,955 880,331 139 1,769 Dec 2001 0 7,160 48 13,789 25 1,903 35,461 915,792 83 1,852 Mar 2002 0 7,160 57 13,846 17 1,920 58,029 973,821 131 1,983 Jun 2002 0 7,160 15 13,861 7 1,927 109,307 1,083,128 281 2,264 Sep 2002 0 7,160 297 14,158 40 1,967 11,318 1,094,446 28 2,292 Dec 2002 1* 7,161* 142* 14,300* 0 1,967 0 1,094,446 0 2,292 Total 7,161* 14,300* 1,094,446 Titles Cataloged=New to OCLC & changes to existing records. LDRs input=New to OCLC. LDRs revised=Changes to existing LDRs *Estimated totals for quarter ending Dec. 2002 Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 13

HOLDINGS OF NEWSPAPERS IN CONNECTICUT, BY COUNTY Although counties were abolished as a form of government in Connecticut in 1960, the old county borders serve as useful regional boundaries. In CNP terminology a “holding” is defined as all the issues of one title located at one institution.

COUNTY Titles Reported In 1988 Titles Held In 1997 Institutions Reporting in 1988 Institutions in 1997 Fairfield 600 1,737 46 52 Hartford 3,945 5,132 67 82 Litchfield 281 462 18 24 Middlesex 202 377 12 17 New Haven 2,570 5,507 39 59 New London 369 754 20 24 Tolland 111 786 6 6 Windham 61 121 8 15 TOTALS 8,139 14,876 216 279

HOLDINGS OF NEWSPAPERS IN CONNECTICUT, BY TYPE OF INSTITUTION

Institutions Reporting in Type Titles Reported In 1988 Titles Held In 1997 1988 Institutions in 1997 Historical Society 1,848 2,847 43 47 Library 5,944 11,442 139 151 Museum 214 310 6 7 Newspaper Publisher 126 263 25 67 Other 1 2 1 2 Private Collection 6 12 2 5 School 0 0 0 0 Town Clerk 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 8,139 14,876 216 279

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 14

SAMPLE PAGE FROM NEWSPAPERS IN CONNECTICUT INSTITUTIONS

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 15

CHART SHOWING THE RELATIONSHIPS OF SOME NORWICH NEWSPAPERS

WEEKLY EDS. DAILY EDS. DAILY EDS. OTHER EDS. Weekly register (Norwich, Conn.) Nov 29 1791-Aug 19 1795

Chelsea courier Norwich courier (Norwich, Nov 30 1796-May 24 1798 Conn. : 1842 Mar 7 1842-Oct 28 1845 Pub. daily and triweekly.

Courier (Norwich, Conn.) Norwich evening courier Norwich semi-weekly courier May 31 1798-Mar 15 1809 (Norwich, Conn. 1845 Sep 3 1859-Jun 16 1860 Oct 30 1845-Jul 29 1856 Pub. triweekly.

Norwich courier (Norwich, Evening courier (Norwich, Norwich evening courier Conn. : 1809) Conn.) (Norwich, Conn. : Semiweekly) Mar 22 1809-Oct 29 1845 Aug 5 1856-Nov 27 1858 Jun 19 1860-Oct 23 1860 Pub. triweekly.

Norwich weekly courier Norwich daily courier Norwich courier (Norwich, (Norwich, Conn. : 1845) Dec 1 1858-Aug 2 1859 Conn. : 1860) Nov 5 1845-Aug 27 1859 Pub. daily. Merged with: Oct 26 1860-Nov 23 1860 Merged with Norwich daily Norwich weekly courier Absorbed by: Norwich morning courier to form: Norwich semi- (Norwich, Conn. : 1845) to bulletin. weekly courier. form: Norwich semi-weekly courier.

Norwich weekly courier Norwich evening courier Norwich morning bulletin Eastern bulletin (Norwich, Conn. : 1860) (Norwich, Conn. : Daily) Dec 15, 1858-1895 185u-12/1860 Jan 5 1860-1uuu Aug 20-Nov 24 1860 - - Absorbed by: Norwich morning Pub. weekly. Absorbed by: Pub weekly and semiweekly. bulletin. Norwich weekly courier (Norwich, Conn. : 1860) Norwich courier (Norwich, Norwich bulletin (Norwich, Norwich evening record Conn. : 1901) Conn.) 18uu-Jun 27, 1952 1uuu-Nov 1 1927 1895-9999 - - - Pub. daily. On Sunday pub. as: Pub. semiweekly. Merged with: Title varies on Sunday. Norwich Sunday record, Cooley’s weekly to form: Absorbed by: Norwich bulletin (Norwich, Conn.)

Norwich bulletin, Norwich News (Groton, Conn.) Cooley’s weekly courier, Cooley’s weekly Sep 15, 1975-Apr 21, 1978 1876-1927 Nov 5, 1927 Absorbed by Norwich bulletin (Norwich, Conn.) See other Merged with: Norwich courier chart. (Norwich, Conn. : 1901) to form: Norwich bulletin, Norwich courier, Cooley’s weekly Norwich courier-Cooley’s weekly Nov 11, 1927-Oct 31, 1930 Absorbed by: Norwich bulletin (Norwich, Conn.).

Information compiled by Connecticut Newspaper Project, 1995-1997. Incomplete dates, e.g., 19uu, indicate that actual beginning or ending date is unknown. Dates in italics indicate earliest and/or latest issue known when chart was created. 9999 indicates current publications. Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 16

SELECTION CRITERIA FOR THE PRESERVATION MICROFILMING OF CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPERS, 2000-2003 Titles at risk due to their condition or environment Brittle paper Poor storage conditions, high heat or humidity Significant research value Special audience newspapers, e.g., ethnic group Opposing viewpoint Short runs of titles which complete existing microfilm Filling the gaps in existing film Complete chronological coverage for each town Titles that cover a time period not already on film Geographic distribution: towns where little or no filming has occurred Newspaper of record for an area Long/complete runs of titles Continuity preferred to short runs or scattered issues Major daily newspapers Runs that fill gaps in current film Titles not already on film (often these are rivals to titles already filmed)

ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS John Breen Mr. David Rhinelander Associate Professor of Journalism Connecticut Daily Newspaper Association University of Connecticut 36 Boston Hill Road Arjona Building, Room 425 Andover, CT 06232 Storrs, CT 06269 tel: 860-742-8001; fax: 860-742-2428 860-486-4221 fax 860-486-3294 [email protected] [email protected] Member: 1997-1999 Member: 1997-1998 Ms. Judith Schiff Ms. Jane F. Cullinane Chief Research Archivist Preservation Librarian Yale University Library Collection Management Sterling Memorial Library Connecticut State Library PO Box 208240 231 Capitol Ave. New Haven, CT 06520-8240 Hartford, CT 06106-1537 tel: 203-432-1743; fax: 203-432-7231 tel: 860-566-3560; fax: 860-566-3991 [email protected] [email protected] Member: 1997-1998 Member: 1997-1999 Donna Siemiatkoski Ms. Ellen Embardo Connecticut Society of Genealogists University of Connecticut 33 Hillcrest Rd. Homer Babbidge Library Windsor, CT 06095-3310 369 Fairfield Rd. 860-688-6822 Storrs, CT 06269-1005 [email protected] tel: 860-486-1262; fax: 860-486-6100 Member: 1997-1998 [email protected] Member: 1997-1999 Dr. Bruce Stark Connecticut State Archives Dr. Robert J. Fitzsimmons Connecticut State Library 289 West Lane 231 Capitol Avenue Kensington, CT 06037 Hartford, CT 06106-1537 tel: 860-828-0905 tel: 860-566-1733; fax 860-566-1421 [email protected] [email protected] Member: 1999 Member: 1997-1999 Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 17

NEWSPAPERS FROM 94 TOWNS WERE PRESERVED ON MICROFILM BY CNP Town Titles Pages Town Titles Pages ANSONIA 4 2,821 NAUGATUCK 4 2,619 ASHFORD 1 8 NEW BRITAIN 16 127,098 BERLIN 2 76 NEW HARTFORD 1 4 BETHEL 12 2,430 NEW HAVEN 30 132,607 BLOOMFIELD 1 197 NEW LONDON 17 15,283 BRANFORD 1 4 NEW MILFORD 1 208 BRIDGEPORT 19 149,317 NEWTOWN 1 4 BRISTOL 1 14,522 NORFOLK 2 474 BROOKFIELD 3 51 NORTH CANAAN 2 10,532 BROOKLYN 2 80 NORWICH 18 178,868 CANAAN 3 1,807 OLD LYME 5 66 CANTON 5 1,270 OLD SAYBROOK 1 24 CHESHIRE 6 1,302 PLAINFIELD 2 460 CHESTER 1 646 PLAINVILLE 2 40 CLINTON 2 28 POMFRET 1 8 COLCHESTER 1 3,894 PORTLAND 1 4,574 COVENTRY 2 16 REDDING 2 200 DANBURY 2 24 RIDGEFIELD 1 4 DEEP RIVER 2 53,750 SALEM 3 80 DERBY 7 472 SALISBURY 1 37,847 EAST HADDAM 4 20,740 SHELTON 4 2,362 EAST HAMPTON 2 12,470 SIMSBURY 2 112 EAST HARTFORD 1 538 SOUTHINGTON 3 65 EAST LYME 3 572 STAFFORD 5 33,475 ENFIELD 1 4 STAMFORD 1 8 ESSEX 2 64 STONINGTON 5 3,314 FAIRFIELD 3 1,213 STRATFORD 4 8,108 GLASTONBURY 1 394 SUFFIELD 1 56 GRANBY 1 216 THOMASTON 1 56 GREENWICH 2 333 THOMPSON 1 5,703 GRISWOLD 1 7,598 TOLLAND 2 562 GROTON 4 1,333 VERNON 5 84 GUILFORD 3 66 WALLINGFORD 11 308 HAMDEN 4 3,436 WASHINGTON 1 40 HARTFORD 72 134,917 WATERBURY 8 9,122 HEBRON 2 16 WATERTOWN 4 3,737 KENT 1 124 WEST HARTFORD 3 940 KILLINGLY 1 28 WEST HAVEN 6 894 LYME 1 16 WESTPORT 5 7,334 MADISON 2 210 WETHERSFIELD 6 1,630 MANCHESTER 6 37,888 WILLINGTON 1 24 MANSFIELD 6 220 WINCHESTER 1 32 MERIDEN 21 9,877 WINDHAM 2 17,006 MIDDLETOWN 10 991 WINDSOR 1 24 MILFORD 6 5,802 WINDSOR LOCKS 1 808 MONTVILLE 2 40 WOODBURY 1 15,529 MORRIS 1 284 WOODSTOCK 1 8 Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 18

For the remaining 75 towns there are several reasons why no newspapers were microfilmed by CNP, including: ~All existing newspapers are already preserved (7 towns): Bethlehem, Cromwell, New Fairfield, Newington, Sharon, Trumbull, Weston. ~Has no existing newspapers (30 towns): Andover, Barkhamsted, Beacon Falls, Bolton, Bozrah, Bridgewater, Canterbury, Chaplin, Colebrook, Columbia, Eastford, Ellington, Franklin, Hartland, Killingworth, Lebanon, Ledyard Lisbon, Middlebury, North Branford, North Stonington, Plymouth, Preston, Roxbury, Scotland, Somers, Union, Voluntown, Warren, Woodbridge. ~Existing newspapers are more recent and, it is hoped, will survive till another project can preserve them. ~Unfilmed newspapers cover a period already preserved by the existing film of a different newspaper from that town.

NEWSPAPERS PRESERVED ON MICROFILM BY CNP, BY COUNTY Although counties were abolished as a form of government in Connecticut in 1960, the old county borders serve as useful regional boundaries. County Titles Pages Total 437 1,094,446 HARTFORD 126 320,795 FAIRFIELD 59 171,388 LITCHFIELD 20 70,674 MIDDLESEX 25 93,287 NEW HAVEN 113 169,540 NEW LONDON 60 211,064 TOLLAND 23 34,397 WINDHAM 11 23,301

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 19

92 INSTITUTIONS LOANED NEWSPAPERS TO CNP FOR MICROFILMING

Lenders Titles Lenders Titles Acorn Press 2 New York State Library (NY) 2 American Antiquarian Society (MA) 34 New York State Historical Assoc. (NY) 1 Babcock Library, Ashford 1 North Haven Historical Society 1 Barnum Museum 1 Northwestern Univ. (IL) 1 Prosser Public Library, Bloomfield 1 Norwich Bulletin 1 Boston Public Library (MA) 2 Old Saybrook Historical Society 2 Bridgeport Public Library 10 Old Sturbridge Village Research Library (MA) 2 Brookfield Historical Society 3 Pennsylvania State Library (PA) 3 Conn. College 4 Plainville Public Library 2 Conn. Historical Society 72 Rocky Hill Historical Society 1 Conn. State Archives 2 Rutgers State Univ. (NJ) 1 Conn. State Library 302 Salmon Brook Historical Society 1 Cornell Univ. (NY) 1 Schenk Collection (MA) 2 Danbury Scott-Fanton Museum 6 Plumb Memorial Library, Shelton 2 Deep River Historical Society 4 Simsbury Historical Society 2 Derby Public Library 4 Simsbury Public Library 1 East Lyme Public Library 1 Pequot Library, Southport 1 Fairfield Historical Society 3 Stafford Historical Society 3 Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society 1 Stafford Library Assoc. 1 Feste Collection 1 Stonington Historical Society 3 Greene County Historical Society (NY) 1 Stowe-Day Library 2 Guilford Free Library 5 Stratford Historical Society 5 Hartford Public Library 1 Stratford Library Assoc. 1 Harvard Univ. (MA) 1 Kent Memorial Library, Suffield 2 Indian & Colonial Research Center, Old Mystic 1 Thompson Public Library 1 Kent Historical Society 1 Tolland Historical Library 1 Ledyard Historical Society 1 Townsend Collection 1 Lithuanian Research & Studies Center (IL) 1 Trinity College Watkinson Library 2 Lyme Historical Society 1 Univ. of Connecticut, Dodd Research Center 9 Maine Historical Society (ME) 1 Univ. of Maryland, Baltimore County (MD) 1 Manchester Historical Society 7 Univ. of Kansas (KS) 2 Massachusetts Historical Society (MA) 1 Vernon Historical Society 1 Meriden Historical Society 9 Wallingford Historical Society 3 Meriden Public Library 14 Silas Bronson Library, Waterbury 4 Middlesex County Historical Society 1 Watertown Library Assoc. 1 Milford Historical Society 6 Wesleyan Univ. 3 Milford Public Library 1 West Haven Public Library 3 Morris Public Library 1 Westerly Public Library (RI) 1 Mystic Seaport Museum 1 Western Reserve Historical Society (OH) 2 New Britain Herald 4 Westport Historical Society 2 New Britain Public Library 6 Wethersfield Historical Society 4 New Haven Colony Historical Society 11 Wethersfield Public Library 2 New London County Historical Society 1 Willington Historical Society 1 New Milford Public Library 1 Windsor Historical Society 2 New York Historical Society (NY) 14 Old Woodbury Historical Society 1 New York Public Library (NY) 1 Yale University, Sterling Library 8

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 20

P. 1 OF 15. See full list at http://www.cslib.org/cnpfilmareaa.htm NEWSPAPERS MICROFILMED BY THE CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPER PROJECT, ARRANGED BY AREA COVERED A-H

Ansonia Ansonia Evening Sentinel Filmed with: Ansonia Evening Sentinel (1885-1898). Ansonia Weekly Sentinel Filmed with: Naugatuck Valley Sentinel (1871-1892). Evening Sentinel (Ansonia, Conn. : 1884) Filmed with: Ansonia Evening Sentinel (1885-1898). Naugatuck Valley Sentinel Filmed with: Naugatuck Valley Sentinel (1871-1892).

Ashford Ashford Gazette (Ashford, Conn.) Filmed with: Rural Record and Windham Co. newspapers (1880-1950).

Berlin Berlin News Filmed with: Hartford County Newspapers (1858-1929). Berlin Weekly News Filmed with: Hartford County Newspapers (1858-1929).

Bethel Bethel Eagle Filmed with: Bethel newspapers (1881-1896). Bethel Ledger (Bethel, Conn. : Daily) Filmed with: Bethel Press newspapers (1874-1883). Bethel Ledger (Bethel, Conn. : Weekly) Filmed with: Bethel Press newspapers (1874-1883). Bethel News (Bethel, Conn.) Filmed with: Bethel newspapers (1881-1896). Bethel Press (Bethel, Conn. : 1874) Filmed with: Bethel Press newspapers (1874-1883). Bethel Press (Bethel, Conn. : 1876) Filmed with: Bethel Press newspapers (1874-1883). Fairfield County Advertiser Filmed with: Bethel newspapers (1881-1896). Herald Of Freedom (Bethel, Conn.) Filmed with: Herald of Freedom (1832-1833). Rodemeyer's Yellow Spasm Filmed with: Bethel newspapers (1881-1896). Sunbeam (Bethel, Conn.) Filmed with: Bethel newspapers (1881-1896). Valley Ledger Filmed with: Bethel Press newspapers (1874-1883). Yellow Spasm Filmed with: Bethel newspapers (1881-1896).

Bloomfield Messenger (Bloomfield, Conn.) Filmed with: Messenger (1943-1945) and State Guard news (1920). Special Topic – Military

Branford Short Beach Daily Filmed with: Middlesex and New Haven County newspapers (1859-1942). Special Topic -- Amateur Newspaper

Bridgeport Bridgeport Filmed with: Connecticut Foreign Language Newspapers (1907-1938). Special Topic -- Ethnic &/Or Foreign Language. In Hungarian. Bridgeport Daily Standard (Bridgeport, Conn. : 1860) Filmed with: Daily Standard (Bridgeport) (1850- 1860). Bridgeport Evening Farmer Filmed with: Bridgeport Evening Farmer (1854-1917). Bridgeport Leader Filmed with: Bridgeport Evening Farmer (1854-1917). Bridgeporter Zeitung Filmed with: German Language newspapers (1858-1907). Special Topic -- Ethnic &/Or Foreign Language. In German. Bridgeporti Ujsag Filmed with: Connecticut Foreign Language Newspapers (1907-1938). Special Topic -- Ethnic &/Or Foreign Language. In Hungarian.

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 21 p. 1 of 4. For full list see http://www.cslib.org/cnpfilmtopics.htm NEWSPAPERS MICROFILMED BY THE CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPER PROJECT, ARRANGED BY SPECIAL TOPICS Agriculture Freemasonry Amateur Newspaper Labor Anti-Slavery Military Campaign Literature Prohibition and Temperance Congregationalist Underground Press Ethnic &/Or Foreign Language

Special Topic – Agriculture Connecticut Farmer (1879-1894) 16 Reels which include: Connecticut Farmer (Hartford, Conn. : 1879)

Special Topic -- Amateur Newspaper Middlesex and New Haven County newspapers (1859-1942) 1 Reel which includes three amateur newspapers: Clinton Courant (Clinton, Conn.) Hamden Bi-Weekly Star Leete's Island Times (Handwritten newspaper) Saybrook News Shore Line Times (Clinton, Conn.) Shore Line Times And County Chronicle Short Beach Daily (Amateur newspaper) Stalwart (Guilford, Conn.) Times (Guilford, Conn.) (Handwritten newspaper) Times (Hamden, Conn.) Visitor

Fairfield County Newspapers (1870-1917) 1 Reel which includes one amateur newspaper: Brookfield breeze Brookfield news Gleaner (Brookfield, Conn.) (Handwritten newspaper) Newtown advertiser (Newtown, Conn.)

Neighborhood News (1939-1943) 1 Reel which includes one amateur newspaper: Neighborhood News (Granby, Conn.)

Special Topic -- Anti-Slavery Anti-slavery Newspapers (1837-1859) 4 Reels which include: Connecticut Press Free Soil Advocate Ultimatum

Anti-Slavery newspapers (1838-1848) 3 Reels which include: Charter Oak (Hartford, Conn. : 1838) Charter Oak (Hartford, Conn. : 1846) Free Soil Pioneer Republican (Hartford, Conn.) Slave's Cry

North and South (1858-1860) 1 Reel which includes: New Britain Times (New Britain, Conn. : 1859) North And South (New Britain, Conn.)

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 22

MICROFILMING EFFORTS BY OTHER CONNECTICUT INSTITUTIONS, since 1991 (Does not include dailies and weeklies acquired by subscription from the major vendors or filmed annually by local institutions.) Title Reels Pages Years covered Filmed for Filmed by Avon news N/A N/A 1987-1996 Avon Free Public Library NEM Bridgeport light 2 N/A 1988-1990 Bridgeport Public Library AMS Bridgeport times and 174 93,088 1918-1925, Bridgeport Public Library AMS times-star (page 1927-1936, count and still working N/A for on 1926, 1937- some 1941 reels) Clinton recorder 76 N/A 1907-1980 Clinton Historical Society NEM Enfield press 11 N/A 1983-1992 Enfield Public Library NEM Housatonic ray [New 2 1,474 1874-1900 NEM Milford, Conn.] Monroe courier 7 16,250 1985-1997 Monroe Public Library NEM New Milford gazette 12 13,200 1885-1886, NEM 1909,1919 New Milford times 48 43,146 1915-1946 NEM Newington life 5 3,094 1996-2001 Lucy Robbins Welles Library, NEM Newington Newtown bee N/A 23,604 Publisher of Newtown bee NEM Rockville journal 30 27,370 1911-1959 Rockville Public Library, Vernon NEM Rockville leader 31 25,619 1902, 1908, Rockville Public Library, Vernon NEM 1910, 1926- 1964 Waterbury Democrat 131 120,124 1887-1925 Silas Bronson Library, NEM Waterbury Windsor Locks Journal 30 N/A 1880-1974 Windsor Locks Historical AMS Society Filming companies: Archival Microfilm Services, 1133 Dixwell Ave., Hamden, CT 06514 New England Micrographics, 344 Boston Post Road, Marlboro, MA 01752

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 23

ARTICLES AND PUBLICITY FOR THE CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPER PROJECT

1988 "Connecticut Newspaper Project", Connecticut Libraries (Connecticut Library Association), Sept. 1988, p. 6. "CT Begins Newspaper Project", The Inquirer (Hartford, CT), Aug. 24, 1988, p. 2. “Connecticut Begins Newspaper Project”, Newtown Bee, Sept. 2, 1988 “Newspaper Preservation Plan Begins in Connecticut”, New Milford Times, Aug. 25, 1988 “State Begins Newspaper Project”, Bristol Press, Aug. 24, 1988 “State Begins Newspaper Project”, Voices (Southbury, CT), Aug. 24, 1988 "State Joins Project for Newspapers", Westport News, Aug. 24, 1988, p. 38. “State Library Receives Grant”, Hartford Courant, July 29, 1988 “Tracking Down Newspapers State Project”, Darien News-Review, Aug. 25, 1988

1989 Bill Ryan, "19th Century Journals Often Short-lived, Always Lively", Hartford Courant, Apr. 2, 1989, p. H1

1992 Richard Tambling, "Preserving Connecticut's Newspapers: Librarians to Identify, Locate, Microfilm Historic Pages of the Past", Journal Inquirer (Manchester, CT), Jan. 21, 1992, pp. 27, 28.

1993 Jane Cullinane, "Connecticut Newspaper Project Begins Roadwork", CSL Update (Connecticut State Library), Fall 1993, p. 8.

1994 David Friedman, "Long Line of Papers Heralds Town News", Bethel Home News, (Bethel, CT), Aug. 3, 1994, pp. 1, 18. Matthew Lubanko, “Newspapers Wanted: State Library Seeks Many Old Editions”, Record-Journal (Meriden, CT), May 28, 1994 Kevin McKeever, "Old Newspapers Needed", Greenwich Time (Greenwich, CT), May 3, 1994, p. 1. Laura Kahkonen, "State Project Searches for Old Newspapers", Windsor Journal (Windsor, CT), May 27, 1994, p. 12. “Wanted: Old Missing Newspapers For Inclusion In Statewide Project”, Litchfield County Times, May 13, 1994 radio interview with WREF [news], Ridgefield, CT, aired approximately Apr. 27, 1994 radio interview with WGCH, Greenwich, CT, aired approximately Apr. 27, 1994

1996 “Project seeks missing newspapers”, Main Street News [Deep River, CT], June 27-July 10, 1996

1997 J. Cris Yarborough,"The Battle Against Time and Money: Racing to Save Connecticut's History in Newspapers", The Herald Press (Middletown, CT), Feb. 23, 1997, pp. D1, D7. “Connecticut Newspaper Project Offers Its First Microfilmed Newspaper”, Connecticut Libraries (Connecticut Library Association), May 1997, p. 7 Joanne M. Godfrey, "Old New Era Newspaper Now on Microfilm", Main St. News (Deep River, CT), Vol. 8, No. 7, Apr. 1997, pp. 1, 23. Douglas Black, "State Library Seeks Microfilm to Preserve Old Newspaper", Journal Inquirer, (Rockville, CT), Oct. 15, 1997, p. 10?

1998 “Back Issues Sought For Microfilming”, Hartford Courant [Stafford ed.], Feb. 17, 1998 Glenn McNamara, "Library Seeks Newspaper Issues", Voices (Southbury, CT), Vol. 30, No. 6, Feb. 11, 1998, p. 4. Steve Grant, "New Work Keeps Old News Alive: Library Hunting Down, Preserving Newspapers Of Past", Hartford Courant, Mar. 15, 1998, pp. B1, B4. Also appeared under title: “New interest keeps old news alive” in Stamford Advocate, Vol. 168, No. 337, Mar. 15, 1998. Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 24

Elizabeth Ganga, "Old Editions From ‘Herald's' Archive To Be Preserved Through Microfilm", The Herald (New Britain, CT), Mar. 18, 1998, p. A3. Shawn Mawhiney, "Project Seeks To Find, Catalog And Preserve History", Sunday Bulletin (Norwich. jCT), Jan. 25, 1998, p. B3. Bill Ryan, “Read All About It! Before It Molders Away”, New York Times [Connecticut ed.] Vol. 147, No. 51,153, May 10, 1998, Sect. 14, p. 1, 4-5. Carr Vernon, "State Project Seeks Missing Issues Of Paper", Reminder [Stafford ed.] (Vernon, CT) Mar. 17, 1998, p. 1. Jennifer A. Peyton,"Who Wants Yesterday's Paper?", Litchfield County Times (New Milford, CT), Vol. 18, No. 8, Feb. 20, 1998, p. 15.

1999 Jane F. Cullinane, “Newspaper Union List Available”, CONNector [State Library], Vol. 1, No. 2, July 1999, p. 3 Jane F. Cullinane, “1000th Reel Microfilmed by Connecticut Newspaper Project”, CONNector [State Library], Vol. 1, No. 3, Nov. 1999, p. 6

2000 “Historical Society, Library Receive Cultural Grants”, Hartford Courant, Apr. 7, 2000, p. B7. Laura Moulton, “New Grant For Connecticut Newspaper Project”, CONNector [State Library], Vol. 2, No. 3, July 2000, p. 3

2001 Jane F. Cullinane, “Access to Newspapers Increased With 2000th Reel Of Microfilm”, CONNector [State Library], Vol. 3, No. 4, Nov. 2001, p. 8 Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 25

MOST RECENT CNP BROCHURE

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 26

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 27

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 28

Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 29 p. 1 OF 3 at http://www.cslib.org/cnp.htm CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPER PROJECT HOMEPAGE

Tel: 860-757-6524, Fax: 860-757-6503 Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday Microfilming Coordinator: Jane F. Cullinane Connecticut Newspaper Project, Connecticut State Library 231 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106

The Connecticut Newspaper Project is part of the nationwide United States Newspaper Program. CNP shares two goals with all state projects: first, to locate, catalog and inventory all American newspapers held in libraries, historical societies and other repositories in the state, and second, to preserve and increase access to American newspapers by microfilming as many of their state newspapers as possible. The Project is funded primarily by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Email your reference question about newspapers Email your question about the Connecticut Newspaper Project

Finding Newspapers in the Connecticut State Library Locating Connecticut Newspapers in Other Institutions Preservation Microfilming of Connecticut Newspapers Newspapers Microfilmed by the Connecticut Newspaper Project Microfilming as a Preservation Tool History of Newspaper Publishing in Connecticut Missing Connecticut Newspapers Newspapers on the Web More on the Newspaper Program nationwide CNP in the News: Hartford Courant, March 15, 1998

Preservation Microfilming of Connecticut Newspapers The microfilming phase began in the Spring of 1996 with a project to film the Deep River New Era and is continuing to microfilm Connecticut newspapers, starting with the Farmington Valley Herald, and The Norwich Bulletin.

Of 1,810 Connecticut newspapers found during the cataloging phase, 1,130 are not on film and 243 have substantial gaps in the existing film. Most filming has been done in the Hartford and Fairfield regions or along the coast, leaving large areas of the state with no preservation microfilming activity.

Before filming, every effort will be made to gather a complete file of the newspaper and to find replacements for damaged issues. Using the information from the cataloging and inventory phase, CNP will borrow as many issues as can be found. Press releases will ask for any other missing issues.

Newspapers are disbound, flattened, repaired and put in correct order before filming. This time consuming step ensures that the every word on the film is as easy to read as possible.

Local institutions and citizens will be asked to help pay for the filming projects. It is not possible for CNP alone to pay for filming the estimated 1,500,000 pages of Connecticut newspapers awaiting preservation. It is only through cooperation with public libraries, historical societies, newspaper publishers and local groups that the history and opinion of our communities will be saved. To find out how you can help, call, write or e-mail the CNP.

Microfilming as a Preservation Tool Microfilm is expected to last 500 years, preserving the content of bulky, brittle, scattered original newspapers. Because of its longevity, microfilming is still regarded as the best choice for saving our newspaper heritage. In contrast, original newspapers are printed on paper that deteriorates rapidly due to its chemical composition. In Final Report of the Connecticut Newspaper Project p. 30 p. 1 OF 7 at http://www.cslib.org/newspapers.htm Newspapers [from State Library History & Genealogy Unit Homepage]

231 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106 Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday Closed State Holidays. (45kb PDF)

CSL Catalog and Collections Connecticut Government Resources Connecticut History Resources Connecticut Newspaper Resources Secured Collections Web Reference Resources Borrowing Materials Copies, Copiers, and Change Directions and Parking Hours and Miscellany Policies for Patrons

Introduction The Connecticut State Library's Newspaper Collections Locating Connecticut Newspapers in Other Institutions Newspaper Indexes and Abstracts Additional Newspaper Information Reference Requests

Introduction The past is gone, but not completely! Ever since the first Connecticut newspaper, the Connecticut Gazette, was published in New Haven in April 1755, Connecticut newspapers have been an important source of current information for the general public. Fires and floods, laws and larcenies, scandals and sports, and many other Connecticut and national news events have all been recorded in Connecticut newspapers. But many newspapers from past eras still survive, offering today's historians, students, genealogists, and other researchers the opportunity to encounter events from the past through the eyes of contemporaries of the people living the events.

The Connecticut State Library's Newspaper Collections Overview The Connecticut State Library holds the largest collection of Connecticut newspapers in the United States, consisting of approximately 2,050 titles and spanning almost 250 years. Most of the newspapers of the Nutmeg State are here -- all the dailies, most weeklies, and many special interest newspapers -- ethnic, business, religious, and political. The completeness of holdings for titles ranges from a full run of the Hartford Courant, 1764 to the present, to the solitary copy of several one-issue-only newspapers.

We encourage visiting the State Library in person to most easily and effectively use our newspaper resources. The staff helps in-house patrons plan and carry out their newspaper searches, find newspapers in the State Library's catalog; access newspaper indexes and abstracts and clipping files; use the Internet and Web reference resources; and operate photocopiers and microform equipment.

For those who are not able to visit the library in person, we can provide limited general information, such as a list of all newspapers that covered a specific town for certain years or information on what Connecticut libraries may have copies of a newspaper. All reference queries are important to us, and we strive to answer them in a timely manner. However, with service to our many on-site patrons of necessity taking a priority, we cannot ensure immediate replies to telephone, e-mail, fax, or mail reference requests. Reference requests are normally answered in the order they are received, regardless of the means of transmission. If you need a more