Thursday, March 20, 2008
Newspaper Resources
Sometimes people will ask me where I find the Newspaper articles and Ads I have posted on my blog. This is a list of the location of newspaper sources I use most often.
Delmar Library – In the reference room are bounded original copies of the Bi-State Weekly Newspaper from 1949 to 1962
Del Tech Library – They have – on microfilm - an extensive collection of Delaware Newspapers. The Bi-State Weekly is there beginning in 1938. At some period the Bi-State Weekly was purchased or merged with the Laurel State Register so they have microfilm copies of the State Register into the 1990’s. They have a broad array of newspapers from Delaware from the 1850 forward to today. I find those newspapers that were in Sussex County sometimes will have a Delmar News column. Naturally they will have major weather events or catastrophe that effected Sussex County and Delmar.
Wicomico County Free Library – They have Salisbury newspapers (The Wicomico News, the Advertiser, The Salisbury Times) back to the 1880’s on microfilm. Frequently those papers would have a column for Delmar News.
Nabb Research Center (In Salisbury, part of Salisbury University) – They have limited newspapers on microfilm (a great deal of other research material) but limited newspapers. I think they are all Salisbury papers. Again they may (Or may not)have a column of Delmar News.
Delaware Public Archives - in Dover, again a wide selection of Delaware papers on microfilm. I can’t say it is worth the extra ride just for newspapers – DelTech will probably have what you need.
Seaford Library – Bounded original Seaford paper – Seaford leader – going back into the 1930’s. I think DelTech has the same issues on microfilm.
Laurel library – Laurel papers (originals) going back to 1925 to today. I think DelTech will have the same issues on microfilm. I have been told that Laurel library now has a microfilm reader and has acquired, on microfilm, copies of the News Journal and it's predecessors, back to the 1880.
New York Times Archives – sometime this online internet source may have what you need. They have two data bases the first is 1851 to 1980 and the second is 1981 to the present. Enter a keyword (like Delmar Delaware). A large number of articles in the second data base may cost money to see. Most articles in the first data base are free. The site is NY Times
A couple of comments on the way I use the newspapers, both original papers and microfilm. First the original newspapers are fragile. They will rip just turning the pages so you need to be careful. It is useless trying to drag them out to a copy machine to copy an article, as i said they are fragile and you may destroy what you are trying to copy and, the library staff will be pissed because you want them to try and copy it. What I use is my digital camera. I take a picture of the page, article, ad etc using the macro setting so I can get up close and I have the flash turned off. I take about 500 pictures a month of which over half are newspaper articles. I can then print it on my printer the same as a photo or just read it in photo gallery. Several years ago before I had a digital camera I would handwrite the articles which took forever.
If you know a specific date of the event you are looking for, looking thru newspaper isn’t too time consuming. If you don’t know a date or you are just skimming the paper looking for interesting material it will take about an hour and a half to go thru a years worth of original weekly papers.
Microfilm is the most common media I find newspapers on. It will make you go blind trying to read it. It takes me about two hours to skim three months of a weekly paper on microfilm and two hours seems to be my limit on reading microfilm. Most microfilm readers will be connected to a printer and it will cost about 20 cents a page to copy an article. Again you can use your digital camera and take a picture of the face of the screen of the microfilm reader. It will not be as clear as shooting a picture of the original newspaper but sometime that is the best you can do.
Delmar Library – In the reference room are bounded original copies of the Bi-State Weekly Newspaper from 1949 to 1962
Del Tech Library – They have – on microfilm - an extensive collection of Delaware Newspapers. The Bi-State Weekly is there beginning in 1938. At some period the Bi-State Weekly was purchased or merged with the Laurel State Register so they have microfilm copies of the State Register into the 1990’s. They have a broad array of newspapers from Delaware from the 1850 forward to today. I find those newspapers that were in Sussex County sometimes will have a Delmar News column. Naturally they will have major weather events or catastrophe that effected Sussex County and Delmar.
Wicomico County Free Library – They have Salisbury newspapers (The Wicomico News, the Advertiser, The Salisbury Times) back to the 1880’s on microfilm. Frequently those papers would have a column for Delmar News.
Nabb Research Center (In Salisbury, part of Salisbury University) – They have limited newspapers on microfilm (a great deal of other research material) but limited newspapers. I think they are all Salisbury papers. Again they may (Or may not)have a column of Delmar News.
Delaware Public Archives - in Dover, again a wide selection of Delaware papers on microfilm. I can’t say it is worth the extra ride just for newspapers – DelTech will probably have what you need.
Seaford Library – Bounded original Seaford paper – Seaford leader – going back into the 1930’s. I think DelTech has the same issues on microfilm.
Laurel library – Laurel papers (originals) going back to 1925 to today. I think DelTech will have the same issues on microfilm. I have been told that Laurel library now has a microfilm reader and has acquired, on microfilm, copies of the News Journal and it's predecessors, back to the 1880.
New York Times Archives – sometime this online internet source may have what you need. They have two data bases the first is 1851 to 1980 and the second is 1981 to the present. Enter a keyword (like Delmar Delaware). A large number of articles in the second data base may cost money to see. Most articles in the first data base are free. The site is NY Times
A couple of comments on the way I use the newspapers, both original papers and microfilm. First the original newspapers are fragile. They will rip just turning the pages so you need to be careful. It is useless trying to drag them out to a copy machine to copy an article, as i said they are fragile and you may destroy what you are trying to copy and, the library staff will be pissed because you want them to try and copy it. What I use is my digital camera. I take a picture of the page, article, ad etc using the macro setting so I can get up close and I have the flash turned off. I take about 500 pictures a month of which over half are newspaper articles. I can then print it on my printer the same as a photo or just read it in photo gallery. Several years ago before I had a digital camera I would handwrite the articles which took forever.
If you know a specific date of the event you are looking for, looking thru newspaper isn’t too time consuming. If you don’t know a date or you are just skimming the paper looking for interesting material it will take about an hour and a half to go thru a years worth of original weekly papers.
Microfilm is the most common media I find newspapers on. It will make you go blind trying to read it. It takes me about two hours to skim three months of a weekly paper on microfilm and two hours seems to be my limit on reading microfilm. Most microfilm readers will be connected to a printer and it will cost about 20 cents a page to copy an article. Again you can use your digital camera and take a picture of the face of the screen of the microfilm reader. It will not be as clear as shooting a picture of the original newspaper but sometime that is the best you can do.
# posted by Howard @ 1:02 PM 
