Digitizing Local Records

Microfilming the Newspapers

Newspaper clipping of Dixie Van Camp looking at a newspaper on a microfilm machine.

One time MPL employee Dixie Van Camp browses through one of the back issues of the Muncie newspapers on a microfilm machine (Muncie Evening Press, 01-09-1988, p. 3).

From early in its history, Muncie Public Library has been dedicated to preserving local historical records for future generations of researchers. This not only includes storing our collection in optimal ways to reduce harm but also finding ways to save that information using alternate formats. One of our first big conversion projects happened as early as 1949 in fact. This was the year that the library in partnership with the Muncie Star and Muncie Evening Press started microfilming both current and back issues of the local newspaper collection due to its constant use causing damage to the papers. As a result, MPL has all of the local newspapers on microfilm for the public to view and to this day still receives current issues in microfilm as it is still considered the stablest archival format by archivists even today with our more advanced technology.

Government Records

The advent of computers introduced digitization and electronic storage of records. The library, in an effort to remain current and on top of trends, began embracing this change. In 1997, Muncie Public Library took on the task of digitizing Delaware County’s local court records. Former director Ginny Nilles felt that it was important for the library to preserve the community’s heritage and make it more accessible to researchers, so she signed an agreement with the local judges and county clerk to transfer the vast quantity of records for storage at Muncie Public Library. In return, the library would work towards digitizing, microfilming, and indexing the records to ensure that the information was not lost.

Mary Lou Gentis, then supervisor of the Local History and Genealogy Center, and Beth Kroehler organize the volumes of county records, some dating back from the earliest days of the county (Star Press, 08-11-2005).

Newspaper clipping of shelves of county records book. In the distance, Mary Lou Gentis puts away one of the volumes while Beth Kroehler stands next to a cart filled with county record books.

Sara McKinley sits at the book scanner station smiling at the camera. On the angled tray sits on open book.

Carnegie Library Manager and MPL Archivist Sara McKinley scans the county deed records using a large format book scanner on loan from the Indiana Historical Society (MPL Archives).

Sara McKinley, Carnegie Library's Branch Manager and MPL Archivist, discusses the beginnings of MPL's digitization efforts to make records more accessible to genealogists.

The court record project has expanded to include other county records like deeds, wills, cemetery records, funeral home records, and an obituary index. Thanks to our efforts over the years, the Indiana State Library called us a leader in digitizing records and electronic local resources in 2006. In fact, the Indiana Historical Society selected Muncie Public Library as a pilot library for a digitization initiative. Carnegie Library was given the opportunity to borrow a large format book scanner to digitize an estimated 250,000 pages of Delaware County deeds from the county’s early history to the mid-1960s. Carnegie Library staff are still in the process of indexing them. These government records are still available online today. They are searchable in the Digital Resource Library found on Muncie Public Library’s website.

Biblioboard to CONTENTdm

Although the Digital Resource Library allowed MPL to provide researchers access to government records as well as those from mortuaries and cemeteries, the library couldn’t use the platform to share its unique special collections like photographs, scrapbooks, yearbooks, and more. As a response to this need, Muncie Public Library adopted the Biblioboard Creator tool in 2019, which not only allowed us to upload our collections for browsing but also gave the library the ability to add a variety of file formats that included audio and video files. Biblioboard also enabled MPL to establish community submission pages, such as the Document Your Story COVID-19 Pandemic Project Archive, to directly request digitized materials from the community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Muncie Public Library in partnership with Ball State University Archives and Special Collections and the Center for Middletown Studies launched a community initiative inviting everyone to document and share their experiences of such an unprecedent time. This resulted in the Document Your Story: COVID-19 Pandemic Project Archive. (MPL Archives, 2024)

Screenshot of the Document Your Story: COVID-19 Pandemic Project Archive Portal. On the portal is an image of a hand writing on paper with a pen.

Dixie Van Camp looks through a yearbook sitting at a table. A microfilm machine and map case are in the background.

However, Biblioboard was not a perfect solution to the problem of access. Documents were not fully searchable for example, and Biblioboard, although easier to use for staff, did not follow best practices in terms of archival description standards, which limited discoverability. With that in mind, Muncie Public Library decided to move their digital collections to the CONTENTdm digital resource platform. The MPL Digital Archive launched in 2024, and Carnegie Library staff continue to add collections to it regularly. To see what has currently been digitized and uploaded visit https://archives.munpl.org/.

Retiree Dixie Van Camp browses through one of the yearbooks in the collection at Carnegie Library. Our yearbook collection is one of many that can currently be found on MPL's Digital Archives. (MPL Archives, 2016)

Sources

Gerhart, Lee. “Our Roots Can Be Found in Microfilm.” (01-09-1988). Muncie Evening Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Greene, Dick. “Seen and Heard in Our Neighborhood.” (08-10-1948). Star Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

"Groups in the Process of Making Historic Records Available to Public Online." (07-05-2001). Star Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“Microfilming of Newspapers Here to Start Jan. 1.” (07-29-1948). Muncie Evening Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“Minutes: Muncie Public Library Board, 1997.” MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“Minutes: Muncie Public Library Board, 2006.” MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Roysdon, Keith. “County Records Becoming More Accessible to All.” (08-11-2005). Star Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Spath, Constantina L. “At Your Fingertips: Records of All Sorts Are Available at MPL Center.” (03-03-2007). Star Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

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