Newspaper Digitization

The Ennis Public Library has been awarded a $24,820 TexTreasures grant by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This grant will allow the library to have all of the Ennis Daily News from 1938 through 1978 digitized by the University of North Texas’ Digital Newspaper Program. These newspapers will be hosted on The Portal to Texas History (https://texashistory.unt.edu), a free website that allows users to search the Ennis Daily News and other resources gathered throughout the state.

The Portal to Texas History - A gateway to rare, historical, and primary source materials from or about Texas. The Portal to Texas History is a gateway to rare, historical, and primary source materials from or about Texas. texashistory.unt.edu

Using a keyword, such as a person’s name or a street address, automatically filters through the editions and even highlights the spot on the page where the word is found. Searches that could have taken hours or even days flipping through printed archives can take just minutes on The Portal to Texas History. While over 5,000 editions of the Ennis Daily News and its companion papers “The Ennis Weekly Local” and “The Palmer Rustler” are currently available on The Portal to Texas History, users can expect many more to be uploaded throughout the next year.

The Ennis Public Library has served as the archive for old Ennis Daily newspapers for decades. The fragile nature of the old newsprint caused library staff to limit access to these valuable resources. “The fact that this collection is being digitized makes me incredibly happy,” said Jessica Diaz, Library Director. “Now they will be available for anyone with a connection to our town, whether they’ve lived here all their life, or they live on the other side of the world.”

This project is just one of more than 40 grants made possible this year by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. “TSLAC is pleased to recognize and support the important work of Texas libraries in delivering innovative information services that strengthen local literacy, workforce and digital opportunity efforts,” said TSLAC Director and Librarian Gloria Meraz. TSLAC awards competitive grants annually, as funding allows. For the 2024 grant cycle, TSLAC has awarded approximately $1.2 million in competitive grants. The TexTreasures Grant provides assistance and encouragement to 8 libraries to make their special or unique collections available to library users across the state, including the Ennis Public Library’s project to digitize their archives of the Ennis Daily News.