Westborough History Enters the Digital Age

The Friends of Westborough, Inc. hosted the Westborough’s Digitalized Documents program on Sunday, January 31st.  Watch the full presentation here.

The discovery of historical town documents in the vault of the Town Clerk during the renovation of Town Hall has provided an opportunity for Westborough to improve access to its prized historical records.  Digital technology and tools have made it possible to offer the public unprecedented access to archival collections that have remained hidden for years. Westborough is now engaged in applying this new technology to our local collections.

Anthony Vaver, the Local History Librarian at the Westborough Public Library, reviewed what has happened to the historical town documents since their discovery in 2013 and describe the different approaches that are being used to make these records available not only to town residents, but to the world.

At the event, key documents were on display for people to see in person along with their digital equivalents. In addition, Vaver made an exciting announcement about how residents can become involved in bringing more of the town’s hidden history out into the open. As part of Westborough’s 300th anniversary celebration, this special grant-funded project will propel the practice of Westborough local history even further into the digital age.