MEDIA RELEASE
30 September 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CENTRAL LAKES TRUST PARTNERS WITH THE NATIONAL LIBRARY TO
PRESERVE REGION’S OLD NEWSPAPERS
Central Lakes Trust has approved a grant of $100,000 to help preserve the region’s
old newspapers through the process of microfilming and digitisation.
Staff at the National Library of New Zealand together with the University of Otago’s
Hocken Library, the Lakes District Museum and Friends of the Hocken Collections
have continued to work together to identify local newspaper publications they see as
key to the Central Lakes Trust region, and to clarify which institution holds which
volume; and which titles have yet to be microfilmed and digitised.
“We are delighted to collaborate with the National Library of New Zealand on such
an important heritage project for our region”, said Paul Allison, Chief Executive.
The project was originally identified by former Trustees of Central Lakes Trust in
2010 as one of its priority projects for the region as it aligns very well to the Trust’s
Heritage and Environment objective of “supporting projects and organisations that
preserve and promote the physical and cultural heritage of our region and that
protect and enhance the environment in which we live”.
Newspapers that will be preserved include the Alexandra Herald, Arrow Observer,
Lake County Press, Dunstan Times, Lake County Mail, Lake Wakatip Mail and the
Mt Benger Mail dating from the 1880’s until 1948 at which time all the titles folded
into the Central Otago News.
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The project is anticipated to take a minimum of three years to complete and will cost
more than $180,000. The National Library of NZ is contributing up to 50% of the
digitisation costs of the newspapers which is valued at more than $82,000. It will
also be responsible for the ongoing costs of preserving the content in the National
Digital Heritage Archive and making the content available on the “Papers Past”
website. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/
Media Contact: Allen Walley, Communications Account Manager, Department of Internal Affairs 027
384 3009
ENDS
For further information contact:
Paul Allison, Chief Executive, Central Lakes Trust, (03) 445 9958 or (0274) 367170
or email info@clt.net.nz
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