Newspaper Finding Aids

Newspaper Finding Aids

TIARA February 2008
Sharon Sergeant
www.ancestralmanor.com

Historical Newspaper Uses and Access

2004: The Importance of "Yesterday's News": Opportunities and Challenges in Newspaper Digitization http://dlxs.richmond.edu/d/ddr/docs/papers/yesterdaysnews.pdf
2005: The Many Uses of Newspapers.
http://www.dlxs.richmond.edu/d/ddr/docs/papers/usesofnewspapers.pdf

Finding Aids and Metadata

US Newspaper Program. http://www.neh.gov/projects/usnp.html
Newspaper History and Geography Terms
Historic Geographic Regions and Newspaper Resources
Cotton's 1866 "typographical gazetteer" http://books.google.com/

Early Ireland Printers and Newspapers
1866 - 30 newspapers in Dublin; 74 in the provinces - Belfast 11, Waterford 7, Cork 4, Limerick 4, Wexford 4, Sligo 4, Londonderry 4, Drogheda 3, Enniskillen 3, Dundalk 3, and two each in Armagh, Boyle, Carlow, Castlebar, Clonmel, Ennis, Enniscorthy, Galway, Kilkenny, Nenagh, Omagh, Roscommon, Tralee, Tuam; and one each in Athlone, Ballena, Ballenasloe, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Ballyshannon, Bray, Carrick-on-Shannon, Cashel, Cavan, Colerain, Downpatrick, Gorey, Kells, Kilrush, Longford, Lurgan, Maryboro, Mohill, Monaghan, Mullingar, Naas, Newry, Parsonstown, Porterdown, Rosecrea, Skibbereen, Tullamore and Wicklow.

Early Ireland Printers and Newspapers
Masthead titles in order of frequency of use: Journal, Chronicle, Gazette, News, Herald, Reporter, Express, Constitution, Standard, Independent, News Letter, Advertiser, Free Press, Whig, Post, Sentinel, Telegraph, Examiner, Watchman, Mail, Star, Banner, Circular, Press, Argus, Conservative, Democrat, Press, Vindicator, Correspondent, Moderator, Eagle, Champion, Patriot, Citizen, Eagle.
Publication frequency: Daily 6; Weekly - Saturday 47, Friday 8, Thursday 9, Wednesday 2, Tuesday 2, Monday 1; Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 5; Monday, Wednesday, Friday 2; Wednesday, Saturday 16; Tuesday, Friday 3; Monday, Thursday 2.

Ireland Newspapers

Surviving Irish newspapers catalogue can be found in the publication "Report of the NEWSPLAN project in Ireland" 1998. This joint project of the National Library of Ireland and British Library, details where these Irish newspapers have been archived, especially the 19th century.
http://www.nli.ie/en/newspapers-newsplan-project.aspx

US Newspaper Resources

The Library of Congress also provides information about finding aids for newspaper research.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/awser2/place_date.html
Newspaper Advertiser Directories 1869-1920
http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/news_research_tools/ayersdirectory.html
1880 newspaper census searchable from the BPL with your BPL library card:
http://bpl.org/electronic/government.asp
Online Computer Library Center http://www.oclc.org
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers http://www.loc.gov/chroniclingamerica

Finding Aids and Resource Cross-Referencing

There are inconsistencies in the finding aids and inventories, including misspellings, newspaper title changes, incomplete holdings, missing repositories, microfilms or digital sources.
Get out the maps.
Make your own list of newspapers of interest.
Check all the finding aids for original, microfilm and digital resources and cross reference the details.

Newspapers Outside the Region can be Finding Aids

Interesting personal items picked up by other newspapers.
Mail contracts.
Political, war, disaster and economic news.
Use online digital holdings to see the patterns even if what you want is not available in digital format.
Track the previous and subsequent newspaper title changes.

Sample Online Digital Newspaper Resource Comparisons

Additional Resources

US Newspaper Case Study Links http://ancestralmanor.com/?tabid=156
US Newspaper Case Study Teleconference Multimedia Recording Download
http://www.ancestralmanor.com/MP3/NewspaperFindingAids5.exe

Additional resources, courtesy of Henry Scannell, Curator of Microtext and Newspapers at the Boston Public Library

Canadian Newspaper Directory 1856 http://books.google.com/books?id=2tcOAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22newspaper+directory%22
[Kenny's] American Newspaper Directory and Record of the Press 1861 http://books.google.com/books?id=EYNOiPf5zVgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22newspaper+directory%22
N. W. Ayer & Son's American Newspaper Annual 1884 http://www.openlibrary.org/details/nwayersonsdirect00nwayuoft
Geo. P. Rowell and Co.'s American newspaper directory 1869 (also 1872-1873, 1875-1879, 1881, 1884-) http://www.archive.org/details/geoprowellcosame1869newy
[Rowell's] Centennial Newspaper Exhibition, 1876 : a complete list of American newspapers 1876 http://www.archive.org/details/newspaperexhibit00rowerich
Geo. P. Rowell and Co.'s American newspaper directory 1882 http://books.google.com/books?id=TJkQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22newspaper+directory%22&as_brr=1
Hubbard's right hand record and newspaper directory 1880 http://www.archive.org/details/hubbardsrighthan00hubb
Phillip's Newspaper Rate Book 1884 http://www.openlibrary.org/details/phillipsnewspape00philrich
Phillip's Newspaper Rate Book 1884 http://ia331343.us.archive.org/2/items/phillipsnewspape00philrich/phillipsnewspape00philrich.pdf
[Pettingill's] National Newspaper Directory and Gazetteer 1892 http://books.google.com/books?id=S6EQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22newspaper+directory%22
[Pettingill's] National Newspaper Directory and Gazetteer 1899 http://books.google.com/books?id=-5kQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22newspaper+directory%22
[Pettingill's] National Newspaper Directory and Gazetteer 1903 http://www.archive.org/details/pettingillsnewsp1903bost
Remington Brothers' newspaper manual 1900 http://www.openlibrary.org/details/remingtonbrother00remi
Edward P. Remington's annual newspaper directory 1910 http://www.archive.org/details/nelsonchesmancos1914nels
Nelson Chesman & Co.'s newspaper rate book 1900 http://www.archive.org/details/nelsonchesmancos00nels
Nelson Chesman & Co.'s newspaper rate book 1901 http://www.archive.org/details/nelsonchesmancos1901nels
Nelson Chesman & Co.'s newspaper rate book 1911-1912 http://www.archive.org/details/nelsonchesmancos1911nels
Nelson Chesman & Co.'s newspaper rate book 1914-1915 http://www.archive.org/details/nelsonchesmancos1914nels
Nelson Chesman & Co.'s newspaper rate book 1915 http://www.archive.org/details/newspaperrateboo00chesuoft
Nelson Chesman & Co.'s newspaper rate book 1921 http://www.archive.org/details/nelsonchesmancos1921nels