Newspapers and Genealogy: A Beginner's Guide

Don Hinchley

In an age when people are constantly connected via electronic communication devices, it is difficult to imagine the importance of newspapers in previous decades. In many places local papers were often the major source of community news.

Despite the fragile nature of newsprint, hundreds of local, regional and national newspapers have survived in many forms — in archives, on microfilm or digitized and on the Internet.

This basic guide will help you search for those newspapers that may contain information about your ancestors. If your family has roots in one of the many small communities throughout this province that has or had a local paper, you may have an excellent source for adding colour to your family history. Don’t limit your search to local newspapers. There is much to be discovered in the papers of major centres, too. Take the time to explore this valuable source of information.

2008 32 p