MILLIONS of pages of historical newspaper articles dating back over 300 years can now be accesses for free at four of Warwickshire’s libraries.
Over three million pages from the British Newspaper Archive (BNA) have been scanned and made available at Rugby, Stratford, Coleshill and Nuneaton Libraries and the County Record Office, as part The British Library’s initiative to digitise its historic newspapers – saving hours of painstaking manual searching through microfilm.
Warwickshire newspapers feature in the coverage, alongside other papers from the British Isles. Articles date from as far back as 1699, up to more recent content from the 21st century.
Access to the archives in Warwickshire has been provided by the County Record Office for the next three years. People with a valid library membership can benefit from the service by visiting the office or the four libraries.
Warwickshire County Councillor Andy Jenns said: “We welcome this exciting addition to our online services for library members. It complements our existing Ancestry and ‘Find my Past’ websites, both of which have been available to customers in all our libraries and the County Record Office for several years.
“We have chosen to invest in this ground-breaking resource to give our customers access to a wealth of information which otherwise could involve hours of searching, or a trip to the British Library in London or Yorkshire.
“We hope this helps to make information more easily accessible for everyone. I would encourage anyone interested to take advantage of this innovative service and what it has to offer.”
Libraries can usually accommodate drop-ins during usual opening hours, but booking ahead is advised when planning to make a special journey to use the archives. Visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/findalibrary for contact information for Warwickshire Libraries.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/2p833ac6 for opening times for the County Record Office.
Customers will require a Warwickshire Libraries membership and a valid email address to access the archive. Visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/jointhelibrary for more information.
Libraries with local studies collections also have local newspapers on microfilm, so anyone unable to visit the County Record Office or one of the libraries mentioned can still undertake research from the nineteenth century to the present. Visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/localstudies or email [email protected] for more information.
