Lompoc Valley Historical Society to Digitize Old Newspapers

As reported in the Santa Barbara News Press by Nora K. Wallace October 6, 2011 on Page A5: The Lompoc Valley Historical Society wants to make sure future generations have access to newspapers of the city's past. The society is now trying to raise $7,200 to microfilm and digitize some 9,400 pages of century-old newspapers -- some published only 20 years after the city incorporated in 1888. One newspaper was known as The Lompoc Journal, or People's Journal, and was published 1908-18, according to Karen Paaske, the society's president. The other paper is the Lompoc Review, published 1919-21. Microfilming will make them available to patrons of the library before they disintegrate, Ms. Paaske said. "They are the only ones in existence, so far as we know, and are deteriorating with use and age," said Myra Manfrina, a Lompoc historian. "If they were microfilmed, the public could be free to use them for research, while the original papers could be put aside to be preserved." The microfilm cost is $4,500. The society would also like to raise $2,700 to digitize the volumes of papers. Once that is done, the California Digital Newspaper Collection, based at the University of California at Riverside, will add the papers -- free of charge -- to its searchable online collection. That collection is searchable through the collection's website, http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cdnc, and the Library of Congress. Donations are tax deductible and may be sent to the Lompoc Valley Historical Society, P.O. Box 88, Lompoc 93438. For more information, email reference@lompochistory.org or call 735-4626.