Historical News Sources

African-American Newspapers  Via Accessible Archives
Selected titles from the 19th Century, including North Star and Freedom's Journal.

America's Historical Newspapers, 1690-1922 -
More than 1,000 U.S. newspapers, with titles from all 50 states

British Newspapers Digitization Project, 1800-1900

Centre Daily Times

Civil War: A Newspaper Perspective Text of the Charleston Mercury, Richmond Enquirer, and the New York Herald, from Nov. 1860-April 1865. Via Accessible Archives

Daily Collegian (1887-1987)
Full text of Penn State's student newspaper

New York Times Historical (1851-)

Newspaperarchive.com
Over 1 million digitized page images of U.S. Newspapers. Searching is free, but viewing the pages requires a membership fee

Newspaper Photos (AP Photo Archive)
Primary 20th Century, with some coverage of the 19th Century.  The earliest photograph is of Abraham Lincoln in 1844

Pennsylvania Gazette, 1728-1800  Via Accessible Archives
Text of the newspaper founded by Benjamin Franklin.

Pennsylvania Civil War Era Newspapers
Selected newspapers. Includes the years before, during , and after the war

Pennsylvania Newspaper Record, Delaware County, 1819-1870  Via Accessible Archives
Contains transcriptions of articles from Delaware County American, Delaware County Republican, The Upland Union, Delaware County Democrat, & The Post Boy

Times of London, 1785-1985

WorldCat (OCLC)
Newspapers in U.S. and selected international libraries. Does not give holdings information

Periodical Press

American Periodicals Series, 1740-1900
Over 1,000 periodicals, including special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, children's and women's magazine, and many other historically-significant titles

Periodicals Archive Online
Hundreds of digitized journal in the arts, humanities, and social science. Provides researches with access to more than 200 years of scholarship.

To Locate Newspapers at PSU

Search The CAT. This works best if you know the name of the newspaper. You can limit your search to the Material Type: Newspapers to browse.

Browse Microfinder, a chronological and geographical listing of the newspapers available in the News and Microforms Library.

Some significant COLLECTIONS to be aware of include:Early American Newspapers

• Early English Newspapers
• Right Wing Collection of the University of Iowa Libraries. For specific titles consult the guide, Call # Z7163.I7 1978, News and Microforms Library, Ground Floor, West Pattee
• A Selection of Titles from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture 
• Underground Newspaper Collection
  

American Newspapers, 1821-1936, A Union List of Files Available in the United States and Canada. Call # Z6945.A53, Arts and Humanities Ready Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee

History and Bibliography of American Newspapers, 1690-1820. Call # Z6981.B56, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee

Newspapers in Microform (2 series, one for U.S. newspapers and one for foreign newspapers.). Call # Z6945.U5 N43, News and Microforms Library, Ground Floor, West Pattee

U.S. Newspaper Program: National Union List. Detailed holdings for newspapers in U.S. Libraries. Call # Z6945.U52, News and Microforms Library, Ground Floor, West Pattee

Catalog of the Newspaper Library (British Museum) Call # Z6945.B87, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee

Web Pages for Major Collections

• Center for Research Libraries. Especially strong holdings in foreign newspapers
• Library of Congress. Newspapers and Current Periodicals Reading Room
• State Historical Society of Wisconsin. The 2nd largest collection of newspapers in the U.S. Includes strong Canadian holdings, as well as labor and ethnic history
• American Antiquarian Society. Strong collection in early American newspapers
• British Newspaper Library. An excellent source for U.K., European and newspapers from the former British colonies

Indexes of Single Publications

Few newspaper indexes existed before the 1970's. The few exceptions are noted below. Newspaper indexes are located in the News and Microforms Library, Ground Floor West, Pattee, unless otherwise indicated.

The best source for determining if an index exists for a specific newspaper is to use the reference book Newspaper Indexes: A Location and Subject Guide for Researchers. Call # Z6951.M635, Arts and Humanities Reference, 2nd Floor Pattee.

New York Times Index, 1851-present

Times of London Index. 1790-present in paper.

Centre Daily Times Index. Selective Index. 1946-present.

Indexes by Subject

Performing Arts in Colonial American Newspapers, 1690-1783. CD-ROM Area, Arts and Humanities Library, 2nd Floor Pattee. Contains references to poetry, music, dance, and theater in early American newspapers.

Black Literature, 1827-1940. Consists of fiction, poetry, book review, and literary notices originally published in African American newspapers and journals.

Hampton University Peabody Newspaper Clipping File. Articles pertaining to African-Americans in newspapers, including urban, rural, Northern/Southern, and African-American/White publications. Coverage is from 1873-1940

Many early newspapers were highly partisan and often affiliated with a political party. It is useful to know more about the newspaper you are reading to place the information in context.

American Journalism History: An Annotated Bibliography
Bibliographic essays listing sources on different periods in American history

Ayer Directory of Periodicals
Annual publication 1880-1982. For newspapers listed it provides circulation data, and political leanings
Call # Z6951.A97. Volumes are in the Annex

Encyclopedia of American Journalism
Essays on prominent individuals, and news publications
Call # PN 4855.P26 1983, Social Sciences Library, 2nd Floor Paterno

Encyclopedia of the British Press, 1422-1922
Brief entries on prominent news individuals and publications
Call # PN5114.E53 1992, Social Sciences Library, 2nd Floor Paterno

Newspapers: A Reference Guide
Contains a section on histories of specific newspapers
Call # Z6951.S35 1987, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee.

Newspapers by Date

U.S. Newspapers by Date

Chronological Tables of American Newspapers, 1690-1820
Call # PN4858.L38, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee

(1850)Catalogue of the Newspapers and Periodicals Published in the United States, showing the Town and County in Which the Same are Published, how Often Issued, Their Character, and Circulation, U.S. Census Area, Social Sciences Library, 2nd Floor Paterno

(1861) The American Newspaper Directory and Record of the Press: Containing an Accurate List of all the Newspapers, Magazines, Reviews, Periodicals, etc. in the United States & British Provinces of North America, also, AConcise General View of the Origin, Rise and Progress of Newspapers. Call # FILM D50 Reel 67 no. 5, News and Microforms Library, Ground Floor, West Pattee

(1884) History and Present Condition of the Newspaper and Periodical Press of the United States : with a Catalogue of the Publications of the Census Year. U.S. Census Area, Social Sciences Library, 2nd Floor Paterno

(1880 - 1982) Ayer Directory of Periodicals. Annual publication. Call # Z6951.A97. Volumes are in the Annex

N. W. Ayer & Son's American Newspaper Annual (Volumes from 1869-1919). Lists newspapers for the year by state. Includes information on political affiliation and circulation estimates

International Newspapers by Date

(1620-1800) A Census of British Newspaper and Periodicals, 1620-1800. Call # Z6956.E5C8, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee

(1820-1900) Waterloo Directory of Victorian Periodicals. Titles are arranged alphabetically. Call # Z6945.W38, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee

(1874-) Willings Press Guide. A guide to U.K. newspapers, as well as selected international newspapers. Published annually since 1874. PSU has selected holdings before 1962. Call # Z6956.E5W5. Latest years in Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee. Earlier years are in the Annex

(1921- ) Editor and Publisher International Yearbook. Published annually since 1921, PSU has holdings since 1945. Call # PN4700.E42. Current years are in the Social Sciences Library, 2nd Floor Paterno. Earlier years are in the Annex

Newspapers by Subject

From Radical Left to Extreme Right : Current Periodicals of Protest, Controversy, or Dissent--U.S.A. (1967). Call # Z7165.U5 M8, Pattee Stacks Level 2

History and Annotated Bibliography of American Religious Periodicals and Newspapers Established from 1730 through 1830 : with Library Locations and Microform Sources. Call # PN 4888.R4A43 1994, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee

The Immigrant Labor Press in North America, 1840s-1970s: an Annotated Bibliography. Call # Z6953.5.A1H63 1987, Pattee Stacks Level 2

Undergrounds: a Union List of Alternative Periodicals in Libraries of the United States and Canada. Call # Z6944.U5D3, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee

Newspapers by Region

Microfinder has a list of PSU owned newspapers by country, and U.S. state. Many of the sources listed on the Finding Aids page are arranged geographically. This page contains more specialized lists focusing solely on specific regions.

Census of British Newspapers and Periodicals, 1620-1800. Call #Z6956. E5 C8, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee

Deutsche Zeitungsbestände in Bibliotheken und Archiven : German newspapers in Librairies [sic] and Archives: a Survey. Call # Z6956.G3H33, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee

Pennsylvania Newspapers: A Bibliography and Union List. Call # Z6952.P4S3 1978, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, News and Microforms Library, Special Collections Library.

Union Catalogue of Arabic Serials and Newspapers in British Libraries. Call # Z6958.A6A93, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor, Pattee

Union List of Latin American Newspapers in Libraries in the United States. Call # Z6945.G76 1953, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee

Newspapers by Specific Groups

African-American Newspapers and Periodicals: A National Bibliography. Call # PN4882.5.A367 1998. Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee

Encyclopedic Directory of Ethnic Newspapers and Periodicals in the United States. Call # Z6953.5.A1W94 1976, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee

German-American Newspapers and Periodicals, 1732-1955: History and Bibliography. Call # Z6953.5.G3A7, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee.

Hispanic Periodicals in the United States: Origins to 1960: A Brief History and Comprehensive Bibliography. Call # Z6953.5 S66 K36 1999, Social Sciences Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Paterno

Native American Periodicals and Newspapers, 1828-1982: Bibliography, Publishing Record, and Holdings. Call # Z1209.2.U5D36 1984, Pattee Stacks Level 2

Union Catalogue of Arabic Serials and Newspapers in British Libraries. Call # Z6958.A6A93, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor, Pattee

Women's Periodicals and Newspapers from the 18th Century to 1981: a Union List of the Holdings of Madison, Wisconsin, Libraries. Call # Z7965.H3 1982, Pattee Stacks Level 2

Eric Novotny
History Librarian
Arts & Humanities Library
W321 Pattee Library
Penn State University
814-865-1014
ecn1@psu.edu

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