Abstract

The majority of online newspapers provide access to retrospective information through press archive services, a product of great interest for libraries and other information services. The aim of this study is to identify key indicators for the evaluation of digital press archives and also identify examples of good practices in Spain for each of them. We propose a list of twenty-seven indicators grouped into four main sections (general features, contents, query system, and presentation of results), describe each one and include some examples of successful implementation. Methodologically, the indicators are the result of the review of the literature on evaluating web resources, databases and digital press archives, as well as the analysis of press archive services of newspapers from Spain and Catalonia. The use of these indicators can be useful for libraries and other information services to guide their users in consulting retrospective press information.