I have been working on digitizing the clippings files at the Massillon Public Library in Ohio, and putting them into an
online database that is searchable.
The main focus of the database is on business history, but it could expand because there are so many subjects in the files. Do many of you have old clippings files in your libraries, and if so, what are your plans for them?
Here is an example of one of the records in my database, for the Massillon
Boy Scouts. It shows all the clippings related to that organization.
One of the things I think this database would enable (apart from the pure research aspect), would be to launch storytelling projects, in which staff can simply type in the name of a business, get all the relevent images and info, and make an interesting piece, either in slide show format, or in a blog. Sandusky Library in Ohio does a
history blog that I find quite impressive.
