While the impact of a daily, printed newspaper has changed drastically, newspapers have long been a main pillar of information for a very wide audience. From large, national papers like the New York Times, to small, hometown papers like the Platteville Journal, to special interest papers, newspapers excel at getting information about current events out to a general audience quickly.

When searches newspaper databases, helpful search terms include:

• Address
• Street name
• Landmark or building name
• Neighborhood
• Event

Tip: filter your results to a specific date range.

The most comprehensive database of historical Wisconsin newspapers is NewspaperARCHIVE.com. That said, the user interface is...lacking. A few hints on using the database follow below.

Click on "Search" in the upper bar to access the advanced search.

or

On the homepage try a basic search in the box provided. You will probably want to click the "keyword" tab instead of staying on the default "name search."

You only have access to Wisconsin newspapers on this database, so ALL results will automatically be from Wisconsin publications.

To narrow your results by city or date, use the filters on the right side of the results screen.

Clicking into a result will show you a full-page PDF. Use the red bar along the top to zoom in/out, save, etc.

TIP! Browse around the full page you see how your article fits into the larger context.
- What ads are on the page?
- What are the surrounding stories?
- What section of the newspaper are you looking at?