[Cdnc] California Digital Newspaper Collection (CDNC) - Thank you for your support

[Jeff Girod]

January 27, 2026

*Dear site users, friends, and donors: *

I write to provide an update on the California Digital Newspaper Collection
(CDNC).

Last year, more than 1,000 private donors joined the Office of the Governor
and the State Legislature to support the CNDC in its moment of profound
need. Individual gifts alone exceeded $145,000!

These donations have been essential to the ongoing work of preservation and
access. With the financial support of our donors, in combination with
an ongoing
General Fund allocation
<https://ebudget.ca.gov/2025-26/pdf/Enacted/BudgetSummary/FullBudgetSummary.pdf>
to sustain the California Newspaper Project, we have secured staffing,
restored vendor support and site reliability, purchased new hardware,
enhanced cybersecurity, and completed an urgent backup of data at risk of
permanent loss. A large collection of microfilm reels, some at imminent
risk of deterioration, has been transferred to the University of California
library system for proper cataloguing and storage.

Additional accomplishments include restoring relations with the National
Digital Newspaper Program <https://www.loc.gov/ndnp/>. We have responded to
inquiries from select county libraries and historical associations across
the State who were dismayed that the project appeared to be on the brink of
going dark. Finally, we have made steady progress in exploring new
partnerships with other California institutions that share a commitment to
open-access resources documenting the life, history, and culture of the
Golden State.

While the past few months have included some unwelcome and unearned
frustrations among long-time friends and site users, the future of the
California Digital Newspaper Collection is looking bright.

I thank you — our community of genealogists, local historians, academic
researchers, librarians, and fellow Californians  — for patiently and
passionately supporting the project during a rough patch.

As we look towards significant new investments in data backup and
cybersecurity, you are invited to remain at our side, working towards
stability, sustainability, and growth. I extend a warm invitation to make
an additional gift (or perhaps your first!).

Give Now
<https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/48303/donations/new?a=1a&amt=200.00>



Thank you once again for your engagement and commitment to preserving our
shared rights to a free press.

Warm regards,


*Daryle Williams*Professor and Dean
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