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Newspapers - Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How do I search for newspapers?
  2. Who should I contact if I need help searching for a newspaper?
  3. Where are the newspapers located?
  4. May I access the collection at a time outside business hours?
  5. To which current newspapers does the Library subscribe?
  6. Where can I find current print copies of newspapers?
  7. How long are current newspapers in print kept in the Current Periodicals Reading area, 1st floor?
  1. How do I find New Brunswick newspapers?
  2. How do I search for articles in newspapers?
  3. What papers are/were published for a geographic area?
  4. Can I order newspapers from other libraries?
  5. Can I take newspapers out of the library?
  6. Can I make copies of newspapers?

Remote Access

Access to licensed resources is restricted to members of the University of New Brunswick / St. Thomas University community.

1. How do I search for newspapers?

  • Journals & Newspapers search page allows searching by title and or certain geographic identifiers, ie; town/city/province/state and or country, if the paper is outside Canada or the United States. View our list of newspaper database packages.
  • The New Brunswick Historical Newspapers Project is searchable by place, title, year and more, providing researchers with unified access to UNB Libraries' current and historical newspaper collections in all formats, from New Brunswick and across the world. Search and discover microfilm, and selected print and digital newspapers. Note: As an ongoing project, new additions of print and digital content will be added on a continuing basis.

2. Who should I contact if I need help searching for a newspaper?

  • Online catalogues/databases: Research Help Desks
  • Microfilm/older back issues: For additional help searching newspapers contact Microforms Collections via email (mic@unb.ca). Appointments are required.
  • Print: For current or very recent back issues, email Graeme Magill

3. Where are the newspapers located?

Newspapers are located in 4 separate areas depending on their format:

  • Microforms, Basement, HIL-MIC
  • Current Periodicals area, 1st floor, HIL-STACKS
  • Newspaper storage HIL-STORN (currently unavailable for access)
  • Online through one of our databases

4. May I access the collection at a time outside regular business hours of Mon-Fri?

  • Microfilm (HIL-MIC) - and current print (HIL-STACKS) - Yes, the newspaper titles are available during the hours the library is open.

5. To which current newspapers does the Library subscribe?

6. Where can I find current print copies of newspapers?

Current Periodicals area in the first floor stacks (west end near the men’s washroom).

7. How long are current newspapers kept in the Current Periodicals area, 1st floor?

We typically retain recent editions of print subscriptions for six months.  If an issue is not present, it may have been transferred to storage (HIL-STORN). See the list of Current Print Subscriptions of Newspapers for details.

8. How do I find New Brunswick newspapers?

  • Online: Meltwater is a news service providing UNB users access to newspapers from New Brunswick. For historical content, try the New Brunswick Historical Newspapers Project
  • Microfilmed: New Brunswick Historical Newspapers Project, searchable by title, year or place contains microfilm, print, and digital holdings; the titles which are part of UNB Libraries are located in Microforms, HIL Basement.
  • Print: The listing of the Library's Current Print Subscriptions of Newspapers includes most English language papers and indicates retention periods. The latest issue is found in the Current Periodicals area on the 1st floor. The Library's searchable online catalogue, WorldCat can be utilized as well for any back issues.

The New Brunswick Historical Newspapers Project is useful for finding out what titles were published in the province, dates published, extant issues, and who holds copies.

9. How do I search for articles in newspapers?

  • Online – full text/facsimile: Under the Journals and Newspapers tab, you have the options to browse the Newspaper Packages, or search for a specific paper. These databases contain scanned images and/or full texts of articles from the papers; searchable by keyword, and most often by date too.
    **Tip: It is best to have a bit of knowledge about the topic beforehand to make better use of the databases; for example, if it is date specific, the search results will be much better limiting your search by date.
  • Online – indexes: Some of the Article Databases include newspapers in their collections. Indexes give the citation to the article, and may additionally have an abstract and or the full text. You normally can link to the Library to find out if we hold the newspaper; if we do not, you may request the article via a Document Delivery Request.

    Selected databases include:
    • CPI.Q (Canadian Periodicals Index Quarterly): very strong newspaper title list from British Columbia and Ontario, some include the full text; as well as, for the Globe & Mail full text, 1985-current.
      To see a listing of newspapers, under Publication Search, click List all Publications, then limit by Publication Format.
    • CBCA (Canadian Business and Current Affairs): To see a listing of available newspapers, click on the Publications tab, then limit by Source Type.
    • ABI/Inform Complete: North American (concentration U.S.) and international; business/trade & industry; with good coverage of South America
    • Business Source Ultimate: local and international; business

10. What papers are/were published for a geographic area?

Newspaper directories are typically published annually and list newspapers with circulation numbers, frequency, and names of publishers and editors. Historical directories give the titles of all papers known to have been published for a certain area, dates of publication, which institutions possess copies, the extent of their holdings, and the physical format. Some include information about the publisher and the paper's editorial policies.

11. Can I order newspapers or newspaper articles from other libraries?

Yes. If after performing a search in the Library's catalogue, WorldCat, and also checking within the Journals and Newspapers tab, it appears the Library does not hold the title for the dates of interest, students and faculty of UNB and STU may order a copy from another institution through document delivery.

Individual article requests must specify the date, title and page number, and are usually sent as page scans. Requests for date ranges of a newspaper must specify the precise date, and are usually sent on microfilm.

12. Can I take newspapers out of the library?

No. Newspapers in both print and on microfilm are for library use only.

13. Can I make copies of newspapers?

  • Microfilm: Copies may be scanned and saved to a USB stick.