NEWSPLAN

The Newsplan project originated in the mid-nineteen eighties as a co-operative preservation project for newspapers in Ireland and the United Kingdom. There are ten regions involved in Newsplan, one region comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

COLICO has promoted the Newsplan programme in Ireland which ensures the preservation and the future availability of newspapers in Irish libraries. Newspapers contain an immense amount of material of interest for historians and others engaged in local and national history. Older newspapers in particular are frequently sought and heavily used by researchers as well as members of the general public. By their very nature, newspapers are not produced for long-term preservation; the paper used for newsprint is fragile, and repeated use means that newspaper holdings in many libraries are in very poor condition.

The database of all Irish newspapers published since the 17th century, North and South, can be searched from the National Library of Ireland website.

Progress to date

A Review of NEWSPLAN in Ireland up to 2009 by Robin Adams, current Chair of Newsplan Joint Liaison Committee and Librarian, Trinity College Dublin, can be downloaded here

Since 1986 Newsplan has been locating newspaper holdings, to assess their condition, to determine priorities for their preservation, and to make non-paper substitutes available for library users. These substitutes are generally microfilm, but some digital copies are also being made. Because there are extensive holdings of Irish newspapers in libraries in Britain, especially in The British Library, it is particularly advantageous for library users that Newsplan covers both Ireland and Britain. Co-operation on a north-south basis, and across both islands ensures that remedial treatment is applied first to those newspapers which most need it, that there is no unnecessary duplication of effort, and that expertise is shared. One gratifying by-product of the project has been the discovery of a number of files of newspapers whose existence had previously been unknown. The programme is carried out in the Republic of Ireland by the National Library of Ireland and in Northern Ireland by the Belfast Education and Library Board.

The value of Newsplan is highlighted by Seán Phillips – former Chair of Newsplan Joint Liaison Committee and University College Dublin Librarian:

“Because of their closeness to the communities whose activities they record and comment on, newspapers have been called history’s first draft. They provide a uniquely contemporary source of information and comment for study and research, but because of their physical fragility, special remedial action is necessary to guarantee their availability for present and future generations. By identifying and ensuring the long-term preservation of Irish newspaper holdings throughout the island of Ireland and in the British Library, the Newsplan in Ireland initiative is securing their future availability for researchers, students of local history, and the general public”.

NEWSPLAN “The Way Ahead” Seminar 12th May 2009

The NEWSPLAN “The Way Ahead” Seminar for Ireland was organised by COLICO (www.librarycouncil.ie/colico) in co-operation with the Joint Liaison Committee for Newsplan in Ireland. The event was hosted by the National Library of Ireland, Dublin on 12th May 2009.

For further details on Newsplan in Ireland contact: Robin Adams, Chair of Newsplan Joint Liaison Committee and Domitilla Fagan, Secretary, of Newsplan Joint Liaison Committee

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