WATCHMAN ARCHIVES GO ON LINE

The Panola Watchman

Carthage , Texas

Sun, May 2 1999

Internet surfers will soon be able to point their browsers toward past issues of THE PANOLA WATCHMAN as a grant has made it possible to place micro-film of the 126-year old publication at the fingertips. The technology will be of particular interest to gemmological researchers who currently travel to the Panola College Library.

"When its all done, people will be able to get to back issues from the librarys web page" said Phyliss Reed, of the college library. "Hopefully we'll be able to get going on the project by the Summer."

Currently available only on microfilm at the library, the project will involve scanning the newspaper's back issues onto CD_Rom. From there, it will eventually be available on the internet.

Reed applied for a TexTreasure grant and the college was approved for $20,000 to purchase equipment for the digitization process. The funds will also provide for manpower.

"We applied for the grant because we at the college feel that The Panola Watchman is a TexTreasure and , evidently, so did the people on the committee," Reed enthused. "We were the only community college, among many 4 year colleges, to receive the grant."

Ann Morris, history professor at the college, expressed enthusiasm for the project, saying that every back isssue, including the first one dated July 2, 1873, whould soon be available on the internet.

It's very exciting.  How many other newspapers in a town this size can say that they are on the internet, Morris concluded.

Reed noted that the project is still in its planning stages. Muriel Wright and Mary Kay Davis attended a workship to begin planning for the digitization process.

William Morrison arranged for the library to work with the Louisiana State University Library Science Department. LSU Students in a reference and indexing class are planning to take on the project, Reed said. " It  really turned into an endeavor in synergy at the library. Everybody is involved." Reed concluded.