CHAPTER 10:

NEWSPAPER INDEXES

This chapter explains when and how to use newspaper indexes
and discusses some of the more important ones.

 

For nearly two centuries, the periodicals called newspapers were a major source of information for Americans. Nearly every town had at least one newspaper, and most cities had several, some of which put out two or three editions a day. Today, newspapers play a much smaller role in American life. In fact, communications experts predict that in two or three decades the United States will have no daily newspapers at all.

Currently, however, every city in the world has at least one newspaper, and so do most large towns. Often published daily, geared to track developing stories day-by-day, staffed by reporters paid to pry information out of important people and hard-to-reach places, they provide unique up-to-date information about a city or region. 

Some major newspapers and news services also maintain offices in major cities around the world. Some also have world-traveling reporters ready to go wherever important stories are happening. Finally, newspapers provide a forum for "letters to the editor," opinion columns, and daily editorials.

Obviously newspapers are still a very important periodical information source.  And since the advent of the Internet, newspaper research is easier than ever before. Until the Internet, usually only newspapers with national reputations (e.g., New York Times, Los Angeles Times, etc.) were indexed. Each index volume covered only a single year, the list of subject headings was confusing, and the entries themselves were difficult to understand because they contained so many abbreviations. As a result, indexes were tedious and difficult to use.  Most articles were stored on microfilm which made them even more awkward to locate. 
  
Now, well over a hundred newspapers are indexed on the Internet, and keyword searching makes it relatively easy to find your subject. A single search also frequently covers several years of back-issues. 
 
Best of all, in both the individual indexes and indexes that cover several newspapers, many articles are available in their entirety online. This means that when you find articles with information that you can use, you often will be able to print it immediately, download it to a disk, or email it.

The Online newspaper indexes available at the Library include National Newspapers, Custom Newspapers, and the Idaho Statesman, all of which can be found by clicking on the Find Articles link and selecting "Browse A-Z list" to browse alphabetically.  Or, go to the "Databases by Subject" on the same page and select "Newspapers" from the dropdown menu.  
 
The National Newspapers index focuses on nationally significant newspapers that have a reputation for accuracy, comprehensiveness, and sophistication. These include the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, and Los Angeles Times. These and many other newspapers also have their own websites, which provide access to the entire newspaper, including several years of back issues. The bad news is that access to newspaper websites often requires a subscription; the good news is that these subscriptions often are free. 
 
It is important to note that most newspaper indexes do not currently index back-issues much older than fifteen or twenty years. An important exception is the New York Times Archives 1851-1995 database which provides back coverage.  You may also need to consult printed indexes to newspapers available in the Library. 

Click on link to go to the Assignments page and print Assignment TEN

http://library.boisestate.edu/skills/locate/assignments.htm