By Jamie Murphy, Integrated Systems Librarian

The Estes Valley Library and the Estes Park Museum are delighted to announce that community newspapers from 1912 through July 1993 are now available in a high-quality, keyword-searchable format that can be accessed anywhere and anytime via the internet.

Researching a local person or event, or looking for a historical article or advertisement? Maybe you just want to browse around and see what Estes Park was like in the days of yore. All you have to do is hop online from the comfort of your home (or the Library’s computers!).

The digital newspapers are complete page-by-page color reproductions of the originals, including all articles, images, and ads. A keyword search will identify matches using state-of-the-art technology where text is recognized through digital images. This intergovernmental partnership has the Museum preserving the fragile original editions, then partnering with the Library to create free online access. 

“The overarching goal is to make the digitized newspapers as authentic as searching the originals,” commented Estes Park Museum Director Derek Fortini. “However, digitizing newspapers makes them more accessible, keyword searchable in a fraction of the time, and helps preserve original newspapers for posterity.”

The shared funding effort is supported by a key third partner: the Estes Park Trail-Gazette has granted permission for copyright-free access to their archives. Thanks also goes to the Friends & Foundation groups for both agencies and the Town of Estes Park, along with regional support from groups like the Colorado State Library, the Estes Park Women’s Club, and more.

Access to Estes Park’s historic newspapers is an essential component of preserving our collective community memory. To browse these historic newspapers (and keep up with project updates as additional years are added), visit https://estesvalleylibrary.org/resources/local-history/ or estes.org/museum-collection-research.