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🇵🇾 Paraguay /Technology

James Cason's digital archive

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Paraguayhistory.net, an initiative promoted by former U.S. ambassador James Cason, provides digital access to nearly 100,000 pages of historic Paraguayan newspapers.
  • The collection mainly covers 1845 to 1904 and includes rare or unique surviving copies of major publications.
  • Cason began preserving the newspapers on microfilm with $50,000 in cultural funds, then used artificial intelligence to make the material accessible from obsolete DVDs.

A digital archive is bringing nearly 100,000 pages of historic Paraguayan newspapers back within public reach, including copies that may be the only known examples in the world.

The initiative, paraguayhistory.net, was promoted by former U.S. ambassador James Cason. Its collection mainly covers the period from 1845 to 1904 and includes issues of El Paraguayo Independiente, Cabichuí, El Centinela, Cacique Lambaré and Eco del Paraguay.

It started really 20 years ago.

· James CasonCason recalled the origins of the newspaper preservation project.

The project began about 20 years ago, when Cason was serving as U.S. ambassador to Paraguay. He allocated $50,000 in cultural funds to microfilm 51 newspapers held at the National Library of Asunción. That preservation effort later created a new problem: the material stored on DVDs had become practically inaccessible. “Today it cannot be read,” Cason said.

Today it cannot be read.

· James CasonHe explained why the material preserved on DVDs needed to be processed again.

The opportunity to revive the archive came when Cason returned to Paraguay last year to sing at the Municipal Theatre during the presentation of a project recovering 17,000 songs in Guaraní. He brought the newspaper files on DVDs, and artificial intelligence offered a way to process the images. “We decided to use artificial intelligence,” he said.

After about 10 months of work, the old files began to take the form of a searchable historical resource. The article presents the archive as more than a document-digitization project: it restores access to the voices, debates, customs and hopes preserved in the country's early press. Cason's interest in Paraguayan culture, particularly Guaraní, also shaped his connection to the project. During his time as ambassador from 2006 to 2008, he spoke and sang in Guaraní and recorded a folk music album.

We decided to use artificial intelligence.

· James CasonHe described the technology used to make the archived newspaper images accessible.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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