Newspaper archive to remain online - for now

Thousands of newspapers documenting more than 150 years of Isle of Man history are to remain available on the internet.

The online newspaper archive, which is managed by Manx National Heritage (MNH), holds a collection of more than 400,000 pages of newsprint dating from 1792 to 1960.

The service was due to be switched off this week after the software and server becoming obsolete.

However, MNH announced it has successfully established a short term solution to allow to for continued access to the collection until a permanent solution was found.

In a statement, MNH said it was looking to have a replacement service in place by spring next year.

It said: "This means users can continue to search and view the archive while plans are further developed for a secure, sustainable long-term service over the coming months."

It added: "The level of public interest in the archive has been extraordinary.

"We have received countless messages from researchers, family historians and supporters both on and off the Island, highlighting the importance of this resource.

"We are extremely grateful to everyone who has offered support, assistance and encouragement, and we appreciate the patience shown while we continue to work to secure the archive's future."

MNH previously stressed that all other digital collections available via the iMuseum were unaffected by the changes.

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