Newspaper Archive of
The Observer
The Observer Catholic Newspaper for the Diocese of Rockford created the Bishop Thomas G. Doran Preservation Project in 2011 on the occasion of Bishop Doran’s 50th year in the priesthood. This project is named in honor of the eighth Bishop of Rockford who tirelessly supported the Catholic press and served as The Observer’s publisher and columnist from his ordination as bishop in 1994 to his retirement in 2012. This preservation involves making digital copies of The Observer so the Catholic history documented in its pages will be archived and preserved for future generations to access and enjoy. These digital copies are high-resolution scans that are made directly from the last remaining printed copies of The Observer.
To make the scans of these printed newspapers, which are bound into books annually, The Observer has contracted with SmallTownPapers, a company that specializes in digital preservation of small weekly newspapers. Many of the pages are receiving 'white glove' treatment to remove creases and piece pages back together.
The very first volumes have been scanned and are now available. Volumes through 2002 of The Observer will be added as funding becomes available. For more current issues visit http://observer.rockforddiocese.org
