The University Libraries’ digital services department at the University of Nevada-Reno announced on May 13 that it has completed a project to digitize and preserve “Nevada Silver & Blue,” the university’s alumni magazine, making available online all 209 issues dating back to 1972.
This initiative is significant because it expands access to decades of university history for alumni, students, faculty, staff, and the broader community. The collection now joins other digitized campus publications in the University Archives.
Christy Jerz, director of marketing and communications for University Advancement and editor in chief of Nevada Silver & Blue, said, “For more than fifty years, Nevada Silver & Blue has told the stories of the University and the people who shape it. Until now, that rich history had never had a permanent digital home. Digitization expands access for Nevada alumni and friends, ensuring these moments continue to live on.”
Katherine Dirk, manager of the Libraries’ Digital Services digitization lab, led a team including two student assistants who began scanning issues in Summer 2025. The work was completed in Spring 2026. Dirk said about the project: “The magazine feels like a love letter to campus. From campus events and new buildings opening over time, this collection shows how campus has grown, shows what professors were doing, and how visually different campus has looked over the years.”
Several teams within University Libraries collaborated on this effort. Physical copies were selected from collections based on their condition before being scanned with specialized equipment. After scanning each issue using a high-tech book scanner that ensured flatness for optimal image quality, files were organized by volume and issue number before undergoing optical character recognition (OCR) so they would be searchable online.
Dirk described further steps: “The MCOTA team identified the topics contained within each issue and then used what was identified to create subject headings. From there, the files come back to me in Digital Services so the technical metadata can be added to tell the Libraries’ digital systems how this information should be displayed when viewed online within the Libraries’ Digital Archive.” She added about her team’s role: “No one thinks about how the thing they are searching for was added online. They don’t realize how much work goes into adding objects to the Digital Archive.”
Jerz expressed appreciation for those involved: “We’re deeply grateful to the University Libraries team whose expertise and behind‑the‑scenes work made it possible to preserve and share this history so thoughtfully and completely.”
Looking ahead, interested readers can learn more about ongoing library projects supporting students and researchers by visiting recent annual reports.
