Dutch National Library placed World War II newspapers on their succesful newspaper site

As we previously reported the Dutch National Library (KB) is in the process of digitizing historic old newspapers. Currently, two million newspaper pages are searchable online, including newspapers from World War II.

According to the KB’s figures, the newspaper website is quite popular. Since the KB launched the site in 2010, nearly a million people visited the site. The KB’s goal is to have over eight million newspaper pages from the period 1618-1995 available at the end of the digitization process (mid 2012).

In the previous phase of the digitization proces, the KB placed all old newspapers dated before 1700 online. Now, the newspaper website has more than twenty 18th century newspapers, some Surinamese newspapers from the 19th century and even some post-war newspapers available on their site. The number of newspaper pages increased from 500,000 copies to two million.

Additionally, the KB also started digitization World War II newspapers. This project is part of the Dutch War Heritage Program of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports in collaboration with the NIOD, a Dutch institute for warstudies. The World War II selection also includes newspapers from the Dutch resistance during the war.

Read more about the KB’s digitization on FutureofCopyright.com:

• Digitization by the National Library of the Netherlands continues
• Four centuries of newspaper searchable via Royal Library portal
• Dutch Royal Library to digitise the Dutch books, magazines and newspapers

Reference: Ereaders

By: Karen Groen