Pages to Pixels

The digital future of Columbia’s historical records.

For more than two centuries, Columbia’s history has been documented in photographs, newspapers, and legal records. But paper and film don’t last forever. Across Boone County, organizations are working to ensure that the past is not only preserved, but also made more accessible than ever through digitization.  

It’s a painstaking process, requiring careful scanning, entering of metadata (detailed information such as dates, locations, and subject descriptions), and deciphering of handwritten records. At institutions like Daniel Boone Regional Library (DBRL), the State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO), the Boone County Recorder of Deeds Office, and Boone County History & Culture Center, the effort is well underway.  

“The records tell the story of how Columbia and Boone County came to be,” said Bob Nolte, Boone County recorder of deeds. “How we were settled, how we’ve grown. We’re making that history more accessible, piece by piece.”  

A Growing Archive of Local History  

DBRL began its digitization projects nearly a decade ago, transforming historical documents into a searchable online archive. Seth Smith, a librarian involved in the project, said the library has digitized 100 years of yearbooks, rare photographs, and unique publications, such as the Trouble with Normal, an underground music zine from the 1990s and 2000s.  

“Zines were important ways, maybe like blogs are now, for voices that weren’t always heard,” Smith said. “It’s a snapshot of the local music scene and cultural commentary that otherwise might have been lost.”  

Other notable collections include the Midway One Room Schoolhouse Collection and the Southern Boone County Collection, which document rural education and small-town life in Mid-Missouri.   

While the library once relied on volunteers, staff members now handle most digitization work, using open-source software to catalog and store materials online. Future projects aim to digitize more local publications and expand the archive with additional community contributions.   

DBRL is also exploring ways to enhance searchability by incorporating AI-powered optical character recognition technology, making handwritten documents easier to read and analyze.  

Newspapers: The First Draft of History  

Few records offer a clearer glimpse into history than newspapers. Since 2008, SHSMO has led efforts to digitize Missouri newspapers, starting with grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.  

“We have over 8.5 million Missouri newspaper pages digitized, with coverage spanning from 1808 to 2020,” said Katie Ziegler of SHSMO. “It’s a massive undertaking, but it’s essential for accessibility and preservation.”  

The process involves scanning old microfilm and making the pages searchable through keyword indexing. SHSMO partners with Newspapers.com to digitize select newspapers, which are initially available through the site’s subscription service. After a three-year embargo period, these newspapers become freely accessible through the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project.   

The demand for digitization is high, particularly among genealogists who rely on society pages and local news to trace family histories.  

“Digitizing newspapers is critical because these pages hold the first drafts of history,” Ziegler said. “Scanning microfilm and making the pages searchable through keyword indexing ensures that researchers and the public can find information that may otherwise have been lost.”   

At Ellis Library on the University of Missouri campus, this digital accessibility recently contributed to a Black History Month exhibit featuring Spencer T. Banks, a commercial artist and one of the first Black cartoonists to create a nationally published strip featuring a Black female protagonist. Research for the display relied heavily on digitized archives, demonstrating how these resources continue to shape historical understanding.  

Beyond newspapers, SHSMO continues to digitize archival records, manuscripts, and photographs. Heather Richmond, a historian with SHSMO, said these types of documents help show life beyond what would have been considered newsworthy.   

“The breadth of our collections means we’re preserving not just well-known historical events, but also the everyday lives of Missourians,” Richmond said. “Whether it’s a store ledger from the 19th century or letters exchanged between neighbors during wartime, these materials help tell the full story of our state.”   

SHSMO’s efforts include maintaining microfilm backups to ensure future generations have both physical and digital access to historical documents, safeguarding against potential technical issues in the future.   

One of its most significant projects involves transcribing Civil War letters, which provide firsthand accounts of battles, personal reflections, and insight into the daily lives of Missourians during the war.   

“These letters are more than just historical documents — they’re voices from the past, giving us unfiltered glimpses into the emotions and experiences of people who lived through an incredibly turbulent time in our nation’s history,” Richmond said.  

Another major addition to SHSMO’s digital archives is the recently discovered diaries of Sara Lockwood Williams, an influential journalist and editor. Williams’ writings from the late 1800s to early 1900s shaped public discourse and provided a rare firsthand perspective on women in the newsroom. As one of Missouri’s early women journalists, her documentation of societal expectations and historical events — as well as the challenges of being a woman in media — offers an unparalleled glimpse into the period. Her diaries, filled with vivid details, are being carefully transcribed and digitized to preserve her voice and contributions to journalism for future generations.  

“Her diaries offer an unparalleled glimpse into the struggles and triumphs of women in journalism during that era,” Richmond said. “They reflect not only her personal experiences, but also broader changes in the field.”  

Additionally, SHSMO researchers are working to cross-reference Williams’ work with existing newspaper archives to uncover previously unknown pieces she may have written under pseudonyms.  

Land Records and Columbia’s Changing Landscape  

At the Boone County Recorder of Deeds office, digitization has been revolutionizing for historical land records. Boone County Recorder Bob Nolte said deed records dating back to 1821 are available online, with an indexing project extending back to 1965.  

“The records tell the story of how Columbia and Boone County came to be,” Nolte said. “We can see the original town layout, early surveys, and how the land was divided and developed.”  

Digitizing handwritten records remains a challenge, particularly as the project moves further back in time. Some documents require high-resolution rescans to improve readability. In addition, older deed of trust books, which track property mortgages, have yet to be digitized due to funding constraints. Nolte said the older deeds are less likely to be needed for current real estate transactions, and he has to be mindful of the most efficient use of his funding.  

“There’s a balance of being a good steward of taxpayer funds and trying to get as much of this information digitized and available to the public, while also recognizing what is most important for our end users,” he said.  

Preserving Photographs for Future Generations  

Photographic archives provide a unique window into Columbia’s past, and preserving these fragile materials is a complex process. Brian Flanagin, lab manager at the Boone County History & Culture Center, leads efforts to digitize a plethora of community photographs, from old college yearbooks to negatives from local photographers like Paul Parsons, whose work dates back to the 1930s.  

“These negatives are delicate, and some have to be responsibly destroyed after digitization,” Flanagin said. “We use specialized equipment to scan and invert the images, ensuring they’re preserved even if the originals deteriorate.”  

Digitizing early negatives is meticulous work, requiring careful handling to prevent damage. Flanagin’s team members use an Italian-made scanner that captures high-resolution images before converting them into positive prints. They then apply digital restoration techniques to correct exposure issues, enhance contrast, and repair minor imperfections caused by age and environmental factors. The team also focuses on metadata — the detailed descriptions accompanying each image — to help researchers understand the context of historical photographs.  

Flanagin noted that long before Photoshop existed, photographers had their own methods of image enhancement.   

“There are negatives where you can see hand-painted touch-ups, shading to soften facial features, or even details added in after the fact. It’s early retouching,” he said.  

These methods reflect the artistry and skill involved in early photography, as well as the desire to create the most flattering portraits possible.  

“Fashion trends, town developments, and even everyday life are all captured in these images,” Flanagin said. “We’re seeing the introduction of rib-knit sweaters and pearl necklaces in the 1930s, along with changing hairstyles and the emergence of new fabrics. It’s a fascinating look at how culture evolved.”  

The Boone County History & Culture Center is also collaborating with local institutions to share its digital archives more widely. As new photographic collections surface, the center hopes to expand its catalog, preserving even more visual history of Columbia. A future initiative may include 3D imaging techniques to digitally reconstruct damaged or lost photographs, providing new ways for researchers to study and analyze historical images. 

---

Help Preserve Columbia’s History  

Interested in contributing to these digitization efforts? Several organizations offer ways for community members to get involved:  

• Daniel Boone Regional Library welcomes contributions of historical materials, such as yearbooks, photographs, and local publications, to expand its collection. If you have items that could add to the archive, contact the library at [email protected] for guidance.  

• State Historical Society of Missouri relies on volunteers to help transcribe handwritten records — including Civil War letters and Sara Lockwood Williams’ diaries — into searchable text. These efforts make fragile documents accessible to researchers and the public. Learn more by visiting shsmo.org/support/volunteer.  

• Boone County History & Culture Center seeks volunteers to assist with scanning historical photographs and documents, as well as creating metadata to properly catalog materials for digital preservation. To get involved, contact Brian Flanagin at [email protected].  

By supporting these efforts, Columbia residents help ensure that the city’s history remains accessible for generations to come. As Ziegler of SHSMO said, preserving history starts with community support — subscribing to your local newspaper contributes to the vital record that future historians will rely on.