Originally published in the Wilmington News Journal -- 6/14/2023
The Wilmington Public Library, in collaboration with the Clinton County History Center, has added access to more than 28,000 newspapers with the addition of Newspapers.com — a searchable archive of obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, social pages, and more.
Newspapers.com is an online platform well known for its extensive collection of digitized newspapers from numerous communities, including Wilmington. In the past, newspapers published all kinds of news: local, national, and international stories. Because newspapers printed the day-to-day aspects of a community, they are a treasure trove of information about people’s daily lives. The archive of Newspapers.com includes more than 867 million pages.
The library’s partnership with the history center aims to enhance research capabilities, broaden historical knowledge, and empower community members with a wealth of information, according to a news release. In the collaboration, the history center provides valuable Newspapers.com expertise that will be used, among other things, to offer various forms of training for the public to get the most out of this new resource.
“It is our hope that this new resource and the partnership with the History Center will foster a deeper understanding of local history, encourage researchers, and just generally support the pursuit of knowledge in the community,” said Joe Knueven, director of the Wilmington Public Library.
Executive director of the History Center, Shelby Boatman, shared her excitement as well, saying “this has been a project in the making for a while. We are very thankful to the library for helping us expand public access to this valuable resource and are looking forward to aiding many researchers in the near future. It is a wonderful opportunity for our community and both organizations.”
Whether someone is an avid researcher, amateur genealogist, history buff, or simply curious about the past, this new resource and collaboration promises to be an asset for all, library officials said.
For more information about the Wilmington Public Library and access to newspapers.com, visit www.wilmington.lib.oh.us. More information about the Clinton County History Center can be found at clintoncountyhistory.org.