The UNLV University Libraries have been awarded a large, multi-year grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The two-year $311,000 grant was awarded for the National Digital Newspaper Program, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.

The grant will allow the University Libraries to digitize and make public selected historical Nevada newspapers. The digitized content will be hosted and freely available on the Library of Congress' Chronicling America website.

This grant represents a statewide collaboration. The UNLV University Libraries will serve as the lead institution and will partner with the Nevada State Library and Archives and the University of Nevada, Reno Knowledge Center. A diverse panel of experts and scholars from around the state will serve on a Newspaper Selection Advisory Board, providing guidance for newspaper titles to be digitized.

"Newspapers represent a priceless trove of information, documenting the people, places, and events that have collectively woven the rich tapestry of Nevada history," says Patricia Iannuzzi, dean of University Libraries. "Historical newspapers are very popular with both the research community as well as lifelong learners curious about the state's history. Nevada's history, as told through its newspapers, deserves to be preserved, but doing so requires leadership and commitment from many partners across the state. The coordination required to complete this project is a testament to the passion we share for Nevada history."

She adds that the digital collections experts at the UNLV Libraries will lead the project, which involves digitizing and publishing tens of thousands of pages of historical Nevada newspapers.