It was a good week for the past and the future at the Campbell River Mirror last week.
Forty years of Campbell River’s history as chronicled by the Mirror were turned over to the Campbell River Museum and Archives.
Limited room in the Mirror’s office had us eyeing up shelf space being taken up by copies of every issue of the paper since 1970.
“You can’t just toss 40 years into the recycling bin,” said Mirror editor Alistair Taylor.
Fortunately, a home was found for all those stories – the Campbell River Museum. Museum management responded with an enthusiastic yes when asked if there was anything that could be done with all those papers.
They have now been accepted into the museum’s archival collection to be retained for posterity.
The value of the papers became immediately apparent when local geneologists got word of the donation. They’re eagre to glean all the information they can from birth, death and marriage announcements in the old editions.
But just as we have to reconcile with the past, we also must move into the future and the Mirror has a new archival system.
Visitors to our website (www.campbellrivermirror.com)this month may have noticed a new feature called e-editions. Located by scrolling down to the bottom of our home page, you can now access a digital version of the newspaper.
Through digital publishing platform Issuu, the Campbell River Mirror is now available online in the format we’re all familiar with – the printed page. Read the paper on your computer screen, or download it and print it out so you have the good old feel of paper in your hands.
The benefits of this publishing method don’t stop there, though.
Advertisers can be accessed instantly through linking web addresses. Just click on an address and you will be taken instantly to that website.
The e-editions will also serve as our archive. All issues from March 2 are available from that feature.
The Mirror has come a long way from the little press on Maple Street but while we honour our past, we move forward into the future serving our readers and advertisers in ever-more innovative ways.