Historical Archives of Biddeford, Maine's Journal Tribune to be Digitized

The Journal Tribune of Biddeford, Maine, which was first published as a daily newspaper in January of 1884, recently signed a contract with Heritage Microfilm to digitize and microfilm their newspaper back files.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa (PRWEB) July 12, 2007 -- The Journal Tribune of Biddeford, Maine, which has a long history as a daily newspaper in York County, recently signed a microfilming and digitization contract with Heritage Microfilm, the parent company of NewspaperARCHIVE.com. Along with offering traditional microfilm of the Journal Tribune's archives, historic back files of the newspaper will also be made available online to libraries, schools and individual researchers.

"The archives of the Biddeford Journal Tribune offer a wealth of historical and genealogical information," said Jeff Kiley, General Manager of Heritage Microfilm. "Soon, this information will be easily accessible to researchers in Maine and throughout the world as a digital format on the web."

The first issue of the Journal Tribune as a daily newspaper was published on January 5, 1884. Then, the four-page broadsheet had six columns and cost two cents. However, the roots of the newspaper date back even further. Two weekly political newspapers -- the Union, which began in Saco, Maine, in 1845, and the Eastern Journal, which was published in Biddeford in 1855 -- eventually became the Union and Eastern Journal. When the newspaper was sold in 1880, the masthead was changed to Biddeford Weekly Journal.

Managing Editor Drew McMullin noted that the move toward digital archiving is one of numerous steps the Journal Tribune has made to not only honor its history, but move toward the future as well.

"We feel that Heritage Microfilm provides us with a valuable service, and is a good fit with the Journal Tribune family," he said.

Libraries, historical societies and educational institutions interested in purchasing microfilm or web-based digital formats of the Journal Tribune should contact Stephen Carr, Account Manager with Heritage Microfilm, at 888-870-0484 ext. 40. Once the newspaper's entire back file has been digitized, individual researchers will also have the option of accessing the content with a subscription to the Journal Tribune's archives or NewspaperARCHIVE.com.

The Journal Tribune of Biddeford, Maine, is owned by Beacon Press, Inc. Heritage Microfilm, an archival microfilm and digitization company, is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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