Borgåbladet 24 December 1929, no. 149, p. 1 Borgåbladet front page 24 December 1929. Source: The National Library of Finland digital collections https://digi.kansalliskirjasto.fi/etusivu?set_language=en.
The funds from the foundations makes it possible to digitise and publish all Swedish-language newspapers published in Finland from 1940 to this day. When the project is completed in 2023, nearly six million pages of Swedish-language newspapers will be available in digital format.
The project is funded in 2021–2023 with up to EUR 1.85 million. The funds are provided by eight funds and foundations: The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, Föreningen Konstsamfundet, Stiftelsen Tre Smeder, Stiftelsen Brita Maria Renlunds minne, the Åbo Akademi University Foundation, Svenska folkskolans vänner and Harry Schaumans Stiftelse.
At the beginning of 2021, Swedish-language newspapers published by 1939 will be made available online. At the beginning of 2022, newspapers published by 1949 will be made available. Swedish-language newspapers published in 1949 and before will be available to everyone interested in Finland and abroad at digi.kansalliskirjasto.fi at least until the end of 2026.
The materials are made public in cooperation with the National Library of Finland, the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, the Provincial Archives of Åland and Pressarkivföreningen. The project is made possible by a licence agreement between the National Library of Finland, three archives and the copyright management organisation Kopiosto.
In compliance with the law, all digitised newspapers will be available at the legal deposit offices of the National Library of Finland, the Library of Parliament and five other legal deposit collections, including the Åbo Akademi library. The digitised newspapers until the end of 2018 are available from the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland’s archives in Helsinki and Vaasa, the Brages Pressarkivet in Helsinki and the Provincial Archives of Åland.
Åbo Underrättelser 27 December 1929, no. 353, p. 1 Bore I experienced trouble at sea on Christmas Day 1929. Source: The National Library of Finland digital collections https://digi.kansalliskirjasto.fi/etusivu?set_language=en.
Unique research material
“Newspapers are a plentiful and diverse source for cultural history research. It is very important to digitise newspapers and make them more accessible than required by law. At the National Library of Finland, we are very happy about this cooperation and the funds awarded to advance the process,” says Professor Cecilia af Forselles, Director of the National Library of Finland.
“Publishing newspapers in a searchable format online is a significant act that invigorates the development of society. The newspapers are a major source of information in Swedish that can be used both in research and for teaching purposes. We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to participate in the process and open the digital services people are eagerly looking forward to,” says Dag Wallgren, Managing Director of the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland.
“Newspapers are a part of our cultural heritage and they are records of our society, its development and history. I am happy that the Government of Åland has been involved in this digitisation project and that Swedish-language newspapers are made public,” says Åland’s Minister of Education and Culture Annika Hambrudd.
“It is wonderful that we have the opportunity to be involved in the process of making Swedish-language newspapers more extensively available to researchers and archives,” says Kopiosto’s CEO Valtteri Niiranen. “In the process, we can ensure that the authors and publishers of newspapers and magazines receive the copyright remunerations that belong to them for the use of their works.”
More information:
Liaison Manager Pirjo Karppinen, National Library of Finland
Tel. +358 (0)50 318 2320, pirjo.karppinen(at)kansalliskirjasto.fi
Archive Manager Kristina Linnovaara, Society of Swedish Literature in Finland
Tel. +358 (0)40 168 8088, kristiina.linnovaara(at)sls.fi
Senior Vice President Juha Jukkara, Kopiosto
Tel. +358 (0)9 4315 2346, juha.jukkara(at)kopiosto.fi
Links:
digi.kansalliskirjasto.fi
Legal Deposit Office
Society of Swedish Literature in Finland
Brages pressarkiv
Ålands landskapsarkiv