The Project:

The Niagara Falls Review Images Collection contains thousands of negatives taken between the 1950s and the 2000s. While some of these images may appear in the physical Niagara Falls Review newspaper, many of the pictures were never published, and have remained unseen and inaccessible to the public since they were taken. These images make up one of the most unique collections in the Niagara region. No other institution has custody of these pictures. The Library is the custodian of the one and only copy of several negatives, and the Library wants to connect the community to these untold stories. This starts with digitization - capturing high quality scans of the negatives preserves the image and makes it accessible to everyone through the Historic Niagara Digital Collection. A moment in time, at your fingertips. 

The Need:

Digitizing materials takes time and specialized equipment. Our existing microfilm scanner was purchased in the 1990s, and replacement parts for the machine are no longer available for purchase. The scanner remains an excellent way for the community to review our microfilm collection, however, it is not suitable for scanning images at the quality necessary for preserving and utilizing images for years to come. 

Digitizing isn’t where preservation ends. It is important to keep the original negative as long as we can. Technology advances, formats become obsolete, files become corrupt and information is lost. Preservation of negatives requires acid-free envelopes, sleeves, folders, and boxes. Without this intervention, the negative will deteriorate, and be lost to history. 

The Goal:

We need to raise $13,000 to purchase a state-of-the-art microfilm machine. Modern microfilm scanners can capture multiple, clear images from microfilm, microfiche, slides and negatives with user-friendly software that allows customers to edit the image as they are capturing it, and save, email or print the images right from the machine. The diversity in applications for this machine makes it an excellent investment for the Local History Department as we digitize the Niagara Falls Review Images Collection and beyond.

This new equipment will allow us to provide a better experience for our customers and ensure that historical records remain accessible for years to come. The quality of the pictures scanned is an integral part of digitizing images for the Historic Niagara Digital Collections.

Archival grade supplies will save the original negatives from the elements and deterioration. With thousands of items to preserve, the cost of materials is significant.

How You Can Help:

Every contribution, big or small, will bring us closer to our goal! 

Your contribution will also go towards the purchase of a microfilm machine for high quality digitization, and towards purchasing supplies to preserve the original negatives including acid-free envelopes, sleeves, folders, and boxes.

• $2 purchases a 10-pack of pencils for labelling the envelopes, folders and boxes
• $10 purchases 12 pairs of cotton gloves for handling the negatives
• $20 purchases an archival grade storage box 
• $50 sponsors one hour of digitization 
• $260 pays for 2% of the microfilm machine

Together, we can preserve the past and ensure our library remains a hub for learning and discovery.