A vast number of newspapers from many publications are available anywhere there’s an internet connection through the Digital Archives of Hamilton County.

In October, Kendall Young Library opened the archives with 30 years of the Webster City Tribune available on hamiltoncounty.advantage-preservation.com. Since then, the archives have seen the additions of historic newspapers across the county including The Daily Freeman-Journal. The archives currently range from 1857 to 1925 and include 10 publications.

The initial publications were made possible through an Enhance Hamilton County Foundation grant. The library was also given a $10,000 Hotel/Motel Tax grant to digitize The Daily Freeman-Journal through 1970 and add those editions to the archives.

KYL Director Angie Martin-Schwarze said the archives currently contain editions of the paper that are under public domain. Kendall Young Library has partnered with The Daily Freeman-Journal to add more current editions of the paper to the archives.

“The Daily Freeman-Journal is an important addition to the archives because we consider it the local paper of record,” Martin-Schwarze said.

Terry Christensen, General Manager of The Daily Freeman-Journal, said he was pleased to have created this partnership with Kendall Young Library.

“Newspapers have long been the first recorder of history and will continue to be so,” Christensen said. “The fact that people can digitally search for stories, information or do genealogy research from The Daily Freeman-Journal archives… is a natural fit.”

Martin-Schwarze said she hopes to have the newer editions of The Daily Freeman-Journal on the archives by May of 2014.

The library will continue to fundraise to add more editions of The Daily Freeman-Journal up to the present day, Martin-Schwarze said.