Using This Guide

This guide has links to resources for historical newspapers as well as links to other guides covering: 

• historical regional newspapers
• the full extent of the library's newspaper coverage
• online primary resources
• the services offered by the Archives

How to Search Historic Newspapers

• Know your terms! Does what you're searching for have multiple names? Was it called something else when it was happening versus how we refer to it now?
• Know your dates! When did this happen? How long did it last? Be aware of the approximate range of dates of papers you should be looking in for discussion of any events or people.
• Free text searching isn't perfect! Many of these databases will search the entire scanned newspaper for your search terms, but won't always display it logically, the page might seem like it has nothing to do with your topic and you will need to scan over it to see where your term appears. It could also be picking out one word and choosing that. You may have to try multiple terms or combinations.
• Get ready for gaps! Many of these digitized historic newspaper resources will have gaps in their offerings. Even when they say they have a publication from 1881-1930, it could be that they only have one issue from 1881, none from 1883 and everything for 1919. Be ready to hop around resources to try to find what you need. In some cases, there may not be any coverage for that publication for that year at all. 
• Be patient! This sort of searching takes time and patience, don't expect to find everything you need in one sitting. Be patient and be creative. And as always: reach out to a librarian if you need help!