From Archive: A milestone in the digitization of newspapers

The Archdiocesan Office of Archives and Records recently completed a major milestone in a project that has been years in the making. As of 2019, we have worked to digitize all issues of The Georgia Bulletin and make them accessible online. The last issues needing digitization were completed in 2025 and went online earlier this year. The digitized issues range from the first published in 1963 to August 2003, when the changing nature of publishing meant that subsequent issues were born digital and did not need a digitized copy of the printed paper.

A third-party vendor was chosen to digitize back issues of The Georgia Bulletin in batches. The entire run of the newspaper’s issues in the archives were in the form of bound volumes, which would have been cumbersome to scan and potentially obscured the text where the pages met the binding. Therefore, the binding of the newspapers was carefully cut so that they could be laid out on a flat surface. Batch after batch, the documents were packaged and sent to the supplier for digitization. Once the vendor completed the scan, the physical documents were returned and digital copies were provided on external hard drives or via file sharing software.

The next step in the process was to provide access to the digitized copies. Two different free online resources were selected, each targeting a different audience. One is the Georgia Digital Library’s Georgia Historical Newspapers project and the other is the Atla Catholic News Archive. Researchers with a local focus would likely find issues in historical Georgia newspapers, while those with a Catholic focus would be better served by the Catholic News Archive. Having problems accessible in both places benefits a deeper pool of researchers.

The May 26, 1983, edition of The Georgia Bulletin, featuring articles on the Legion of Mary and Birthright, is among numerous issues available online to researchers and casual history buffs through a digitization project undertaken by the Office of Archives and Records.

But serious researchers are not the only ones who might find value in these questions. Casual users interested in the history of their parish or the career of a beloved priest are encouraged to consult these topics. Even just flipping through random back issues can reveal interesting or entertaining articles. If you have ever wondered what the Catholic perspective is on films like “The Exorcist” (“It is another installment in our growing collection of knowledge, not about the sacred, but about the evil and profane,” January 24, 1974) or “Crocodile Dundee” (“True love conquers and the legend of the Crocodile Man is preserved,” October 2, 1986), this resource is for you.

Currently, the Catholic News Archive has issues available from 1963 to 2003, while Georgia Historic Newspapers has issues from 1963 to 1990 (with more to come). We invite all interested to explore at their own pace.