The Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre has been given an award for its expansive newspaper digitization project.
A release on the county website shares that the museum is the recipient of the 2022-23 Dorothy Duncan Public History Award for the ongoing preservation and dissemination of local historical information.
The project began in 2019, with the undertaking of digitizing a large collection of newspapers containing decades of significant Bruce County History.
The Ontario Historical Society's Dorothy Duncan Public History Award is presented annually to an organization or individual that has demonstrated excellence and innovation in sharing Ontario's rich history with the public.
So far, more than 13,000 historic newspaper issues (over 90,000 pages) of historic Bruce County community newspapers, many of which are no longer in print, have been digitized.
“We would like to sincerely thank the OHS for this award in recognition of the BCM&CC’s newspaper digitization project,” shared Archivist Deb Sturdevant. “This work provides new opportunities for students, educators, genealogists, and anyone interested in local history to discover the rich history of our communities, province, and country by enabling online access to historic newspaper content.”
“This well-deserved recognition underscores the Museum's commitment to preserving local heritage through initiatives like the newspaper digitization project,” added Bruce County Warden Chris Peabody. “This award not only honours the hard work of Museum staff, but also emphasizes the cultural significance and vibrant history of Bruce County.”
The digitized papers can be accessed at brucemuseum.ca/research.
