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The HML , part of Lisbon’s municipal library network, has the responsibility of archiving periodicals and making them accessible for public perusal. “As we usually say, the HML is the library of the ephemeral, because the documentation it receives and makes available to the public is characterised precisely by this temporality”, Álvaro Matos, coordinator of the Hemeroteca Municipal de Lisboa, told The Portugal News . “The written press guarantees that information is up to date, but the next day this information is already 'outdated', taking on a dimension that is no less important to us, which we can call historical”, he further explained the library’s purpose.
These papers are sourced from the Legal Deposit of periodical publications, a government initiative that has collected newspapers and magazines for historical bookkeeping since 1931, back when the HML was under the umbrella of the Lisbon Central Municipal Library . Credits: Supplied Image; The future of newspapers in the digital age In 1975, the HML became its own autonomous entity, this year celebrating its 50 th anniversary with a series of activities including an exhibition on its history and a hosted debate with experts in the field on the future of newspapers in the digital age. But what can you find there? “In total”, Álvaro described, “the library holds over 22,000 newspaper and magazine titles, corresponding to more than one million volumes.
It comprises an important collection of documents from the 18 th and 19 th centuries, most of which have already been digitalised and made available online in the Hemeroteca Digital.” The oldest of these pieces of Portuguese History is a Gazeta de Lisboa publication dating back all the way to August 15, 1715, over 300 years ago. Credits: Supplied Image; The library features four specific collections, each focusing on a notable group of archives: The Institutional Fund contains every periodical published by the Lisbon City Council, the Local Fund is a collection sourced from publisher based in the Lisbon municipality, the Historical Fund has preserved many of the country’s oldest newspapers and magazines, and the Reference Collection serves as an auxiliary tool for understanding the rest of the library, being made up of several books on the science of social communication and the history of journalism in Portugal.
A vast programme of initiatives “Regarding its activities, the HML develops a vast programme of cultural, educational and scientific initiatives which aim to publicise its collection of periodicals, promote their study as a primary source for acquiring knowledge of the past and present, and stimulate media literacy”, he stated. “For example, a documentary exhibition about Diário das Notícias was open to the public, in the context of the 160 th anniversary of this newspaper’s founding, and an exhibition on the journalistic work of Mário Soares.” Credits: Supplied Image; Furthermore, the HML also offers a wide array of services for those passionate about Portugal’s newspaper history: “The Reference Service ensures mediation between the informational needs of its users and the library’s resources, both physical and digital; The Scanning and Imaging Service responds to requests for scanning the HML collection and “feeding” the Digital Newspaper Library with those scans; there’s the Reading Service itself, where library users investigate and analyse the collections of newspapers and magazines; The Consultancy and Research Service is designed to remotely respond to requests for time-consuming research in the HML collection, as well as to produce scientific content for the Digital Newspaper Library; The Internet Space exists for free and open use of the internet; “Informal Reading”, which is for in-person reading of the newspapers and magazines of the day subscribed to by the HML; and finally the Technical Services are responsible for the technical and physical treatment of the periodicals, their preventive conservation and restoration, as well the management of HML deposits”, Álvaro listed.
Credits: Supplied Image; One of the papers available for informal reading is The Portugal News , but this isn’t the limit to the library’s collection of foreign-language content. “We offer some foreign newspapers and magazines, particularly from the period of the Second World War, and we have compiled a thorough bibliography on journalism and the history of periodicals published in several languages, with an emphasis on English, French and Spanish”, he shared. Vital public service The HML collection provides a vital public service in preserving the literary and historical value of Portuguese journalism.
“Our daily motivation is that our users leave the library satisfied with our technical response to their requests for consultation, research, investigation or reproduction of the existing collection”, Álvaro expressed. Credits: Supplied Image; “For me, it means a daily professional commitment to the preservation, study and public access to an irreplaceable source for reconstructing and understanding Portugal, both yesterday and today”, he elaborated. “For the country, the HML represents a precious repository of its history, memory and culture – the periodical press is an inexhaustible source of factual information about the past.
” Credits: Supplied Image; As the Hemeroteca Municipal de Lisboa moves into its 50 th year as an autonomous entity, plans are underway to construct a new building to house its ever-growing collection of newspapers and magazines for another half a century. “If you have the opportunity, visit the HML”, Álvaro concluded. “You will have an unforgettable experience, due to the diversity of collections that you can consult, the services that you can enjoy and the activities that you can partake in.
” If you are not able to visit the physical library in Lisbon, please do visit the Hemeroteca Digital, here: https://hemerotecadigital.cm-lisboa.pt/ A journalist that’s always eager to learn about new things.
With a passion for travel, adventure and writing about this diverse world of ours. “Wisdom begins in wonder” - Socrates.
