Using Newspapers in Genealogy Research

Earlier this month, I visited my local library to search for several newspaper obituaries. The obituaries I needed were on microfilm and locating the correct film and page numbers was easy because they were listed in an online index.

During my visit, I also learned that I could access articles from my local newspaper (1997 to present) from my home computer by using my library card number to access the newspaper database through the library’s website. I was aware of this technology through college library websites, but had never tried using it. Access to online newspapers have enabled me to research the obituaries of family members who died after 1997 as well as other articles on various subjects related to my genealogy research.

With online newspapers, I like being able to search for whatever keywords and then downloading or emailing the text from article.

Newspapers can be an invaluable tool in advancing your genealogy research. For more information on the benefits of using newspapers in genealogy research, view this video.