More content, more quickly. An update on progress.
We now have almost 7 million pages and with our new processing system we are going to be able to add around another 4 million pages in the next 12 months. Compare that with the (although rather impressive if we do say so ourselves), 3 million pages processed in the past 20 months since launch! However, in order to support this great improvement in production throughput, we have been very busy modifying our scanning and OCR workflow process. Don’t fear though, we have still been scanning titles and have almost 1 million pages ready to process. We are extremely sorry for the delay but we will be able to start adding these pages within the next few weeks.
In addition, our licencing team have been working hard with publishers to secure access to even more 20th Century titles (up to 1953)! We’ll be able to give you more details shortly. We’re excited and can’t wait to tell you more!
17 comments On More content, more quickly. An update on progress. PLUS! – some exciting news about 20th century content!
Call me Mr Cynic, but I feel that the whole process terminated when the Uni students finished their term, and will restart when they return and are available as cheap / volunteer labour. You heard it here first..
Thank you for the update.
Nothing has happened, No news. Remember you are charging for this. A total disgrace.
Hi Keith, here’s the update we posted on Wednesday regarding the addition of new content to the website. We are sorry for the delay on this. Regards, Grant.
http://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/more-content-more-quickly-an-update-on-progress-plus-some-exciting-news-about-20th-century-content/
Sorry to press a point Grant, but the home page proudly continues to state “New pages added every day”. When was the last day a page was added to the online archive?
I fully support Kate’s point. Nothing new and pointless replies. Either the management is not telling the truth or they are are simply incompetent. Either way it is a rip off.
Re your comment a rather impressive 3 million pages have been processed in the 20 months since launch – 20 months at an average 30 days = 600 days. This works out at 5000 a day. Rather less than the up to 8000 pages each day quoted in press release dated 31st May and 10000 pages are added every day, 7 days a week quoted in press release dated 29th Nov. Personally I would not call this impressive but a big shortfall on what you have been claiming.
Although frustrating, I wouldn’t call it a disgrace. It does seem funny that its all gone quiet when the students are not in College, however I would point out that Up to 8000 doesn’t guarantee they can do it, the keywords are Up to. I do find it a bit odd that the newspapers are sometimes not scanned in date order, but sometimes can be scanned with big dates gaps between issues.
Pete, I agree the words “Up to” does not guarantee anything. However on the press release of 29 Nov, it quotes “Facts about the British Newspaper Archives” and states “10,000 pages are added every day, 7 days a week”. There was no “Up to” mentioned. It is either a fact or not. If not, it should say “Up to”.
I love the Archive. It has my support. But it doesn’t have my confidence.
I would be much more excited if the Archive; 1. Plugged the missing gaps in each of the editions it has started scanning or accounted for them if editions can not be scanned. 2. Gave some indication of what was going to be delivered and when.
Without these fixes the tool fails to meet researchers needs.
The figures so far do not suggest the project is on target and this scattergun delivery does not suggest a plan is being managed. I hope the view from inside the Archive is different.
I love the Archive. It has my support. Give me confidence.
In keeping with no new content, we have had no responses from the BNA for two weeks.
Fair Point, I’m wondering now when these mythical new pages are coming as my Sub is due soon.
I have not renewed as I have found all I can from the existing pages. In an e-mail dated 13 Sept 2013 Bright Solid said
We think there are some great reasons to come back to us:
“We’re adding lots of new pages to the site all the time. If you didn’t find what you were looking for first time around, it’s well worth trying again. We are constantly adding new pages to the site and widening our geographical and historical reach.”
I imagine that BNA are rather busy ‘hurtling’ towards the next monthly update on zilch progress (for the 4th month running) saying how excited they are, how busy they are and how sorry they are that ‘still’ no new pages have been added.
Having invented new meanings for ‘hurtling’ and ‘a few weeks’ they are probably caught up in rewriting ways of saying there will be jam tomorrow.
There is an update now on the blog for Service Announcements 17 July, and they have added it to the Home page. Fingers crossed
Still no updates just more broken promises. Everyone should get at least a three month extension of their subscriion
Well I’m not renewing as they have failed to provide the service they claimed..