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PaNP Phase I (1983-1990):

Background

The Pennsylvania Newspaper Project (PaNP) began in 1983 when the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) granted the State Library of Pennsylvania $10,000 to develop a plan to catalog and microfilm Pennsylvania newspapers. The State Library working with the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Library Association, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and the University of Pittsburgh Library developed this multi-year plan to carry out the necessary work. At the time it was estimated that the inventorying and cataloging phase would take four years to complete and the State Library expected to apply to NEH for supplemental funding. Pennsylvania was one of the first large states to join the United States Newspaper Program (USNP).

In 1984 the NEH awarded the State Library $312,418 for a two-year program, 1985-1986. Matching funds of $112,419 needed to be raised in Pennsylvania to earn the full NEH amount. The Pennsylvania General Assembly appropriated $30,000 in 1984-85 to the State Library as part of the match requirement. Funds were subsequently secured from the Pew Memorial Trust, Philadelphia and other donors.

During the two-year period of the grant, 1985-1986, the State Library coordinated the overall work to locate, catalog and microfilm newspapers published in Pennsylvania and out-of-state papers held in Pennsylvania repositories. In order to carry out the state-wide effort, the State Library contracted with other libraries for cataloging in assigned geographic areas: the Pennsylvania State University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. In 1986 a fourth cataloging site was established at the State Library. Management of the microfilming phase was assigned to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The University of Pittsburgh assumed the responsibility of the quality control of the cataloging.