The selection of newspapers for digitization - a look on the multi-faceted decision process in Germany

Abstract

In Germany no systematic funding of the digitization of historic newspapers has been established yet. Librarians, archivists and historians of the press agree that foremost criteria for selection of newspaper titles for digitization should be their information value regarding the political, economic and cultural history of the state or a region. More refined criteria have to be applied to the rich German newspaper publishing world of the past. Current digitization projects and policies of state and regional libraries follow a wide variety of determinants and practical reasons which are taken under consideration in this paper, in comparison to other European countries. From the point of view of historical communication research the paper also discusses some criteria not to be neglected, related to the typology of the European press, such as the representation of confession. political parties. local history. minorities, or the economic basis, administrative function and competitive situation of newspapers. In the selection process newspapers will have to be carefully and responsibly assessed in respect thereof, as digitization policies will inevitably exert noticeable influence on future research and on the service quality of the libraries.