Past Projects: World Newspaper Archive

Overview / Background

The World Newspaper Archive (WNA) is a collaborative initiative of the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), its member libraries, and Readex, a division of NewsBank. The project was created to preserve and provide long-term electronic access to historical newspapers from around the world.

WNA draws on newspaper collections held by CRL and other major research libraries, systematically digitizing materials that have historically been preserved in print and microform.

Current Status

We are currently not digitizing newspapers for these collections.

The World Newspaper Archive remains an active digital resource. 

CRL continues its partnership with Readex to provide access to digitized international newspapers.

Access the World Newspaper Archive Here

List of Open Access World Newspaper Archives:

History: Founding and Context

CRL launched the World Newspaper Archive in 2008 as an ongoing, multi-year effort to digitize historical newspapers and make them available for scholarly research. The initiative built on decades of work by CRL and research libraries to acquire and preserve international newspapers in print and microform.

The project responded to the growing importance of electronic access to international primary sources for historical, policy, and international studies research. CRL partnered with Readex to provide systematic digitization, web delivery, and archiving of these newspaper collections.

History: Key Points

  • The World Newspaper Archive launched in 2008 as a collaborative digitization initiative.
  • CRL partnered with Readex, a division of NewsBank, to digitize and provide access to historical international newspapers.
  • The first phase focused on newspapers from Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • The project expanded to include materials from Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with additional geographic regions envisioned for future development.
  • CRL member libraries helped fund digitization and contributed newspaper holdings to the project.
  • Participating CRL libraries helped establish priorities for future WNA collections.
  • The initiative was designed around three primary goals: community access, persistence, and growth.

Project Outcome

The World Newspaper Archive created a growing digital collection of international historical newspapers and expanded electronic access to materials previously available primarily in print and microform.

The initiative also generated preservation information about rare newspaper holdings, supported the replacement of lost or deteriorated microfilm, and established provisions for the long-term availability of WNA content to the CRL community.

Ongoing Relevance to CRL’s Mission

WNA supports CRL’s mission by preserving international primary source materials and expanding their availability for research. It builds on CRL’s longstanding investment in global newspaper preservation while enabling researchers to discover and use these materials electronically.

The partnership also gives the CRL community a role in identifying and prioritizing newspaper collections for digitization and helps ensure the long-term availability of digitized content.

Funders or Sponsorship and Partners

The World Newspaper Archive is a collaboration between CRL, its member libraries, and Readex, a division of NewsBank. The initiative launched with financial and in-kind support from CRL member institutions.

Libraries contributing newspaper collections have included:

  • University of California, Berkeley
  • University of California, Los Angeles
  • University of Florida
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Harvard University
  • New York Public Library
  • Princeton University
  • University of Texas at Austin
  • University of Washington

Launch and Scope

The World Newspaper Archive launched in 2008, initially focusing on newspapers from Latin America and the Caribbean. The first module, Latin American Newspapers, was released in December 2008.

By 2011, WNA included modules focused on Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia, with plans to eventually include materials from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Eastern and Central Europe.

The project was designed as a continuing effort, allowing collections to expand as additional materials were identified, prioritized, and digitized.

Membership or Participation

CRL member institutions participate in WNA through financial support, collection contributions, and access to individual modules.

The original model included Charter Participants, CRL libraries that contributed to startup digitization costs. These institutions received favorable ongoing access terms and a voice in setting priorities for future modules. Other CRL members could purchase access to WNA collections under terms more favorable than those available to non-members.

Key Activities

  • Digitizing historical international newspapers from print and microform
  • Providing searchable electronic access through the Readex platform
  • Preserving rare and significant international newspaper collections
  • Identifying and prioritizing materials for future digitization
  • Combining newspaper holdings from CRL and partner research libraries
  • Creating preservation metadata and documenting rare newspaper holdings
  • Supporting replacement of lost, damaged, or deteriorated microfilm
  • Providing contributing libraries with digital copies of their collections
  • Ensuring the long-term availability of digitized newspaper content
  • Expanding WNA with additional regional newspaper collections

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Page updated 9/29/2026