From FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):
Findmypast announces major expansion of
digitisation studio to accelerate access to British, Irish and
Commonwealth newspapers
Findmypast plans to almost double
the capacity of its Yorkshire digitisation studio, based at the
British Library’s Boston Spa site, over the next three years.
The investment comes after the
company, in partnership with the British Library, reached the
milestone publication of 100 million digitised pages, strengthening
its unrivalled leadership and demonstrating its commitment to
preserving history.
The expansion brings greater
capacity to support the digitisation of under-represented
Commonwealth materials, enhancing both family history research on
Findmypast and the British Newspaper Archive, as well as academic
studies through The Social History Archive.
Findmypast, home to the world’s
richest online collection of British and Irish newspapers, is
expanding its world-leading digitisation studio in Boston Spa,
Yorkshire, investing further in the scanning of both paper and
microfilm titles. The move follows the milestone publication of the
100 millionth fully searchable page in February, reinforcing
Findmypast’s position as the unrivalled leader in British &
Irish newspaper digitisation.
This investment marks the next
major phase in its long-term strategy; increasing scale, broadening
scope and deepening the historical context available to both academic
and family history researchers. The move to digitise under-utilised,
name-rich resources from diverse titles reflects the shared vision
between Findmypast and the British Library, who have been
collaborative partners on digitisation projects such as the British
Newspaper Archive since 2010. It reinforces their joint commitment to
democratising history and cements Findmypast as the go-to resource
for British and Irish family resources.
Over the next three to four years,
Findmypast’s Boston Spa studio, based at the British Library, will
almost double its output by over 60% in paper titles, and over 80% in
microfilm titles. The move includes new cutting-edge equipment, more
skilled digitisation operatives, and improved workflows, all designed
to uphold the high standards of scanning and OCR accuracy that the
archive is known for.
This increased capacity will focus on
under-represented Commonwealth and South Asian newspapers in the
British Library’s collections, titles overlooked by every other
major online archive. These publications hold name-rich accounts of
community life, public events, and social and political change.
Digitising them will help build a more equitable, accessible
historical record for South Asian diaspora communities in the UK,
North America and beyond, ensuring that more families can connect
with the stories that shaped them.
The collection will reflect a broad mix
of:
Early English-language
publications shaped by colonial transition
Local community and nationalist
newspapers capturing South Asian voices
Materials vital for researchers in
regions with incomplete or inaccessible civil records
Bringing previously
digitisation-silent regions, including, for the first time,
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, into wider public access.
On Findmypast, family history is about
more than tracking names and dates. Newspapers provide the social
texture: the world behind the life event. This expansion strengthens
Findmypast’s mission to help people understand not only who their
ancestors were, but what shaped their lives, from local concerns to
global events.
The increased capacity also strengthens the
academic product, The Social History Archive, at a time when research
into colonisation and decolonisation is accelerating across
universities. By digitising a broader range of Commonwealth
materials, it deepens access for scholars, as well as enhancing the
product for future expansion into markets where British and Irish
content resonates most strongly - including Australia, New Zealand
and India. It also provides The Social History Archive with an
opportunity to meet a growing academic demand with a richer, more
globally relevant collection.
Sam Tillet, Head of Licensing
Partnerships and Resource Sharing at the British Library, said:
“We’re delighted that Findmypast will be expanding its studio at
our site in Boston Spa. The stories captured in these digitised pages
will give people across the globe the chance to see how their
communities shaped society and enhance access to knowledge for
everyone. It’s a move that brings under-represented histories into
focus, and we’re thrilled to strengthen our digitisation
partnership and capabilities so soon after publishing 100 million
pages.”
Lee Wilkinson, Managing Director, DC
Thomson History, said: “Reaching 100 million digitised pages was a
major milestone but it was also a reminder of just how many stories
remain fragile, scattered, or inaccessible.
This expansion is about meeting that
responsibility. Increasing our capacity means widening the lens
through which people can understand their past. It means preserving
voices that have been under-represented in digital archives, and
ensuring that future generations can access a fuller, more inclusive
picture of history.
Newspapers don’t just record events;
they capture lives in motion: the hopes, the tensions, the ordinary
rhythms that define a community. When you bring more of those pages
online, you’re not just expanding an archive. You’re giving
people the chance to see themselves, and their ancestors, with
greater clarity and connection. I’m proud to say Findmypast will
continue its unrivalled leadership in this work.”
Explore the newspaper archive today at
www.findmypast.co.uk
(With thanks to Ellie Ayton)
Chris
Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.
