School history and archives · For librarians, archivists and alumni directors
A digital yearbook archive that keeps the real books safe on the shelf
Scan each yearbook once and give every class year its own story, with the cover, senior portraits and club pages in a photo gallery. Alumni browse their year; the fragile originals stay put.
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What is a digital yearbook archive?
A digital yearbook archive is a collection of scanned school yearbooks organized by class year, so graduates can browse past volumes without handling the fragile originals. HistoryShowcase lets a school give each volume its own story in a photo gallery, with up to 100 page scans, and search finds the names and text typed into each story rather than words on the scanned pages.
Updated
- Made for
- Librarians, archivists and alumni directors
- Where schools put it
- Library, Reunion committees, Alumni newsletter
- Layouts
- Timeline, Photo gallery, Honors ledger
- Visitors can filter by
- Section, Year
- Cost
- Free to use. No payment details required.
One copy per year, and it’s wearing out
Every school has the shelf. One copy of each yearbook, spines cracked, a few years missing because someone borrowed them for a reunion and never brought them back. The books are the best record of who went to your school, and they are also the most fragile. Each time one comes down to be photocopied, it wears a little more.
A digital yearbook archive lets you scan a volume once and put it back. Each year becomes its own story with the cover, the senior pages and the team and club spreads in a photo gallery. Alumni can browse their year at a reunion or from home, and the book itself stays safe in the library.
How does a digital yearbook archive compare with a library yearbook shelf?
| What matters | Library yearbook shelf | HistoryShowcase |
|---|---|---|
| Handling the originals | Pages wear each time a book comes down | Scan once, then the book stays shelved |
| Browsing from home | Only in person at the library | Anyone with the link opens it in a browser |
| Missing volumes | A quiet gap on the shelf | A published list asking alumni for help |
| Finding a classmate | Leaf through the pages by hand | Search the names typed into each story |
| Feel of the real book | Original paper, binding and signatures | Page scans on a touchscreen |
What to include from each yearbook
Cover and title page
Show each book as people remember it, with the yearbook’s name and theme for that year.
Senior portrait pages
The pages alumni look for first. Scan them carefully so faces and names read clearly on the touchscreen.
Clubs, teams and activities
Band, drama, student council and every team photo, so graduates can find themselves beyond the senior pages.
Faculty pages
Teachers and staff for that year, which also help when you’re building a history of past principals and longtime teachers.
Dedication pages
Many yearbooks were dedicated to a teacher or a classmate. Those pages often hold stories found nowhere else.
A missing-years list
Name the volumes you don’t have so alumni know what to look for in their own closets.
How to organize a yearbook archive
Make one story per volume, titled by year, and group them by decade. A separate gallery for senior pages answers the question most visitors arrive with.
Your siteYearbooks
- Yearbooks by decadeTimeline
One story per year, in order, with a sub-collection for each decade.
- Senior pagesPhoto gallery
Scanned senior portrait pages, one story per class year.
- Clubs and activitiesPhoto gallery
Spreads from clubs, performances and teams, grouped by year.
- Missing yearsHonors ledger
A short list of volumes the school is still looking for.
Visitors can narrow it by
- Section
- Year
How do you build a digital yearbook archive?
Scan the most-asked-for years
Start with upcoming reunion classes and the oldest, most fragile volumes. Scan pages flat and at the same size each time.
Make one story per volume
Title it with the year, put the yearbook’s name in the subtitle, and add up to 100 page scans. Split bigger books into parts.
Look it over on the screen
Open the private draft on the touchscreen, check that pages read clearly, then publish and move on to the next year.
Where should a digital yearbook archive be shown?
- LibraryRight next to the shelf where the real books live.
- Reunion committeesShare the web address so classmates can browse their year before they arrive.
- Alumni newsletterLink the published site so graduates can look up their class from home.
Digital yearbook archive questions
Can visitors search inside the scanned pages?
No. Search finds the names, titles and text you type into each story, not the words printed on a scanned page. If you want someone findable by name, add the name to the story’s text or give them their own profile.
What if a yearbook has more than 100 pages?
Each story holds up to 100 photos or files. Split a larger book into two stories, such as “1984, part one” and “1984, part two,” or scan the sections people ask about most.
Do we need every year before we publish?
No. Publish the years you have, add a missing-years list, and keep adding volumes. Nothing new goes live until someone with publishing access publishes it.
Can alumni see it from home?
Yes. The published site has its own web address that anyone with the link can open in a web browser, so you can share it with alumni and reunion committees.
Related ideas
Open the yearbook shelf to every class
Free to use. No payment details required.
