Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Extra!  Extra!  Read all about it!   

This week's Library Blog features newspapers online.


There are quite a few websites out there that say you can search old newspapers for free.  But if you want to read the article you must have a subscription or fill out a lengthy form practically giving away your first born child.  Yes, I exaggerate.  I just find it frustrating when I cannot get the information I want without jumping through several hoops and usually including a somewhat hefty fee.

But there are a couple places that will allow you to search old newspapers that have been digitized and are available online.  The first one is administered by The Library of Congress and can be found online at: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ . You can search newspaper from 1836 to 1922.  Granted they don't have every single newspaper that was ever printed. However, I was able to find an obituary for a great great grandfather.  It's possible to narrow your search by choosing a location and a time frame.  Try it and see what you can find.

Google has a newspaper archive but, sadly, they are no longer adding to it.  What they have already done is still online and free at http://news.google.com/newspapers.  I have tried it and found out that my father was a "secretary" of an organization.  I sure hope someone else took minutes because his handwriting was nearly indecipherable!

If you are doing family history research these two websites are great places to start.  Take some time to try them out and let me know what you think.  And if you know of any other searchable free newspapers that are digitized online, please let me know.  I'm always on the lookout for new places to do family history research.

Janice
Genealogy Librarian

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