Genealogy: Records & Resources
Newspaper Databases at BPL
Historical newspapers provide a wealth of information for family history research. All are available full text to BPL cardholders, for use at home, work, or school.
Below are a few newspaper databases that are useful in genealogy research. For a comprehensive guide to the library's newspaper holdings and more information about using newspapers for research, see our Research Guide Newspapers @ the BPL. For a complete listing of our available newspaper databases, see the Newspapers section of our online resources.
- Genealogy: Using Newspapers to Research Your Ancestors (November 8, 2023)BPL online genealogy class (video)
- 19th Century US Newspapers This link opens in a new window19th Century U.S. Newspapers provides access to primary source newspaper content from the 19th century, featuring full-text content and images from numerous newspapers from a range of urban and rural regions throughout the U.S. The collection encompasses the entire 19th century, with an emphasis on such topics as the American Civil War, African-American culture and history, Western migration and Antebellum-era life, among other subjects.
- Boston Globe (1872-1992) via Proquest This link opens in a new windowSearchable full-page and article reproductions back to the first issue on March 4, 1872. Coverage: Morning Edition only.
- The Irish Times (1859-2022)
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The Historical Irish Times collection offers both full page and article digital images in PDF format with searchable full text. - The Jewish Advocate (1905-1990)
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The Historical Jewish Advocate collection offers both full page and article digital images in PDF format with searchable full text. - MyHeritage Library EditionMyHeritage Library Edition is one of the largest, most internationally diverse genealogy databases of its kind. It provides access to billions of historical documents, millions of historical photos, and other resources in thousands of databases that span the past five centuries.
- New York Times (1851-2020) This link opens in a new windowThe Historical New York Times collection offers both full page and article digital images in PDF format with searchable full text back to the first issue.
Boston Evening Transcript Genealogy Columns (1911-1941)
The Boston Evening Transcript ran a genealogy column about twice a week during this time period. Readers would submit and respond to genealogical queries, provide corrections to published genealogies, and give background and theories on longstanding genealogical puzzles. Correspondents were not just from Boston, but hailed from around the country. The American Ancestors database, available here at BPL, has a database of images from these columns. Names are not searchable. Here is an article from New England Historic Genealogical Society on how to use the database.
Newspapers at the BPL
The Boston Public Library can boast of one of the biggest newspaper collections in the country, and serves as the center for the Massachusetts Newspaper Program. The Library provides limited access to original newspaper files. (Pre-1820 newspapers have been transferred to the Rare Books and Manuscripts Department). The majority of files are stored off site and several days should be allowed for retrieval.
Except in rare cases, users will be required to use microfilm copies of the files, provided the Library owns microfilm of the newspaper. Access may also be restricted if the condition of the files is such that use would destroy the preservation copy.
For more information, call us at 617.859.4400, or email us at ask@bpl.org, or use this online form.
Other Sources for Historical Newspapers
Digital Historical Newspapers. This FamilySearch page has links to many historical newspapers, both U.S. and foreign.
- Chronicling America This link opens in a new windowChronicling America is a Website providing access to information about historic newspapers and select digitized newspaper pages, and is produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). NDNP, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress (LC), is a long-term effort to develop an Internet-based, searchable database of U.S. newspapers with descriptive information and select digitization of historic pages. Supported by NEH, this rich digital resource will be developed and permanently maintained at the Library of Congress. An NEH award program will fund the contribution of content from, eventually, all U.S. states and territories.
Coverage: 1836-1922