Reveal Digital develops Open Access primary source collections from under-represented 20th-century voices of dissent, crowdfunded by libraries. Digitized primary source materials from the 20th and 21st centuries are important resources for learning and research, but they can be difficult to find. Reveal Digital’s Open Access collections, hosted on JSTOR, help fill that need while also elevating the voices of marginalized and hidden communities.

In 2022, MCLS invested in the work of Reveal Digital, contributing funds to support the development of their Behind the Scenes of the Civil Rights Movement and Documenting White Supremacy and its Opponents in the 1920s. Through Reveal Digital’s collections, users can see first-hand key information resources (photos, newsletters, documents, and more) on the topics. The content is curated and sourced from a wide array of libraries, museums, historical societies, and individual collectors. The results are diverse thematic collections of scholarly value available to everyone everywhere.

Reveal Digital’s work continues. One of the most exciting additions in recent months are two iconic newspapers in the American Prison Newspapers (APN) collection. The San Quinten News is an award-winning monthly newspaper that has been in publication intermittently since 1940. It provides an insider’s perspective on events within San Quinten and topics related to crime and punishment more generally. On the opposite end of the date spectrum is The Summary, which began publishing in 1883 in the Elmyra New York Penitentiary. It became the model for all prison journalism that followed.

Find out more about how your library can support the ongoing efforts of Reveal Digital. Contact MCLS eLicensing and Collection Resources at services@mcls.org or 517-939-1382.