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The Virginia Newspaper Project (VNP) is thrilled to announce an ongoing project to make the Library of Virginia’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) newspapers available on Virginia Chronicle. The camp newspapers in the LVA’s collection, published from 1934 to 1941 by the young men of the CCC, were mostly distributed in camps throughout the Commonwealth, though a handful are from locales outside Virginia.

The array of titles vary in sophistication, regularity and skill, but as a whole they offer a vivid picture of camp life during the Depression.  Though the physical demands of CCC work could be exhausting, a youthful spirit radiates from the pages of the CCC newspapers: work safety reminders, camp classes and events, health columns, editorials, sports reports, cultural news and illustrations were regular features in many of the papers, but each had its own distinct flavor.

The camp newspapers are also packed with the names of people who were active in the CCC–you might find a mention of one of your relatives among the pages. Click here to learn more about the CCC and the newspapers they produced.

There is a great side note to this project we can’t neglect to mention. The CCC newspaper collection was preserved on both microfilm and microfiche for the Center for Research Libraries in 1991 by MicrogrAphic Preservation Service (MAPS).

Did you happen to notice the name “Kelly L. Barrall” under the list of camera operators? The very same Kelly L. Barrall recently managed the project to digitize the microfiche she  helped create over 25 years ago!

Though MAPS has changed its name to Backstage Library Works, the company is still going strong, microfilming and digitizing archival collections.

Kelly Barrall digitizing the same microfiche she helped create over 25 years ago.

Big thanks to all of those at Backstage Library Works who make the digitization and preservation happen. And please visit Virginia Chronicle today to check out the CCC newspapers that have been added so far.

Kelley Ewing

Senior Project Cataloger

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