NEWTON, N.J. (Sussex County) — The Sussex County Library System is among 21 New Jersey public libraries awarded funding through the New Jersey State Library’s REV 250: Examining the Semiquincentennial through a Jersey Lens grant program, an initiative supporting community engagement with the state’s role in the American Revolution as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.
The $25,000 grant — the maximum available — will support the library’s “Opening Windows to the Past” project, aimed at digitizing historic Sussex County newspapers and making them freely accessible online.
Led by Local History and Genealogy Librarian Tara Schaberg, the project will focus on New Jersey Herald microfilm from 1849 through the early 1900s, along with previously digitized editions of the Stanhope Eagle (1885–1950), Sussex County Independent (1871–1929), Sussex Register (1814–1943), and Wantage Recorder (1894–1937).
“These newspapers offer a rich tapestry of Sussex County’s past — documenting political viewpoints, local events, and the lives of rural communities shaped by mills, farms, and small-town industries,” the library said in a statement.
Digitization will be done using the Community History platform by Advantage Archives, which also manages collections for the Newark Public Library and the Albert Wisner Public Library in Warwick, N.Y.
“We are so proud of Tara Schaberg for securing the maximum grant amount for this important project,” said Ellen Callanan, assistant director of the Sussex County Library System. “Her dedication to preserving and sharing Sussex County’s unique history will benefit our community for generations to come.”
Once complete, the collection will be available online to researchers, students and history enthusiasts.
