Help preserve North Bend’s historic newspapers by funding digitization of Coos Bay Harbor and North Bend News for free public access online.  City of North Bend release - A community committee is working to preserve and share more than 80 years of North Bend’s local history by digitizing two historic newspaper collections and making them permanently available online.  The North Bend Digital Newspapers Project will preserve and publish:  Coos Bay Harbor: 1905–1950; North Bend News: 1951–1986.  Once digitized, these newspapers will be available through the University of Oregon’s Historic Oregon Newspapers program, a trusted statewide archive that provides free public access to historic newspapers. The platform allows researchers, students, families, historians, journalists, and community members to search newspaper pages online at no cost.  Why This Project Matters:  Local newspapers are one of the most important records of a community’s life. They capture the stories that may not appear in official records: school events, local businesses, elections, public meetings, weddings, obituaries, sports, ship arrivals, civic improvements, fires, storms, celebrations, and everyday moments that shaped North Bend.  For North Bend, these archives are especially valuable. The newspapers document the growth of a waterfront city tied to timber, shipping, rail, fishing, education, public service, small businesses, and generations of families who helped build the community.  Digitizing these newspapers will help preserve fragile historical records before they deteriorate further. It will also make them searchable and accessible to anyone with an internet connection, whether they live in North Bend today, grew up here, are researching family history, or want to better understand the community’s past.  A Community Preservation Effort:  This project has received enthusiastic letters of support from the City of North Bend, the Coos History Museum, the Marshfield Sun Printing Museum, the Oregon Coast Historic Railway, and the Coquille Valley History Museum.  The total fundraising goal is $32,175. Thanks to early supporters, more than $8,000 has already been pledged.  Community donations are now needed to complete the project and ensure these newspapers are preserved for future generations.  How to Donate:  Donations of all sizes are welcome. Whether you give $50, $500, or $5,000, your support directly helps save and share North Bend’s history.  Checks may be made payable to:  North Bend Public Library Foundation, 1800 Sherman Avenue, North Bend, OR 97459, Memo line: NB digital newspapers.  The North Bend Public Library Foundation is a tax-deductible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  Online donations may be made through the North Bend Public Library Foundation PayPal donation link:  https://www.northbendoregon.gov/21121/north-bend-library-foundation  Help Preserve North Bend’s Story.  This is a chance to protect the stories, milestones, people, and places that shaped North Bend. By supporting the North Bend Digital Newspapers Project, you are helping make local history easier to find, easier to study, and easier to pass on to future generations.