The front page of the Mining and Scientific Press, Volume X, Number 11, dated Saturday, March 18, 1865. Courtesy of the University Libraries Digital Services Department
Thanks to a generous donation from Stan Paher ’69 M.A. (political science), Library faculty, staff and student assistants are working to digitize, describe and make more than 100 volumes of the historic newspaper, Mining and Scientific Press, available online. Volumes being digitized by the Libraries team range from 1865 to 1922. Once digitized, this information will expand access to what is already available online via HathiTrust (1893-1922) and EBSCO (1866; 1875-77).
Libraries’ Digitization Lab Manager Katherine Dirk ’06 (history) said the volumes are very unique to both Nevada and California. “Having these specific volumes available online is a win for the University and community,” she said. “Our work is helping to close the gap of what is currently digitized and available online, while creating opportunities for audiences such as mining, history, business and government to intersect around these volumes.”
Mining and Scientific Press volumes contain local and national historical data related to mining, including production data, business directories, stories, ads, illustrations and news.
“Mining and Scientific Press has obvious value for those interested in the mining and science industries,” said Chrissy Klenke ’04 (English), University Libraries’ Earth Sciences, GIS, and Maps librarian. “They can also be used for background research on old mining companies, potentially benefiting those studying anthropology, geography, history, social sciences and the humanities.”
Klenke said the collection is a “gold mine” of information. “I’ve had patrons call the DeLaMare Science and Engineering Library because they have old mining stocks and/or bonds and want to know if they hold any value,” she said. “I am able to use this resource to help these patrons research specific mining company histories, which is a lot harder than it seems!”
To view the digitial collection, scan the QR code below.