News junkies rejoice! Google has begun scanning microfilm from various newspapers' historic archives to make them searchable online, further pushing libraries towards obsolescence (just kidding, i think). The searches can be had first through Google News, and will eventually be available on every papers' own web site. Much like it's book project, Google will shoulder the cost of digitizing archives, though it'll avoid the embarrassing legal snafu's of yesteryear by actually asking permission to scan this time around. [NYTimes]