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U.S. Newspaper Collections at the Library of Congress

Comprising major titles from all fifty states and United States territories, the Library’s newspaper collections are the most comprehensive in the world. This guide provides a detailed overview to these collections published from 1690 to the present.

Introduction

Marjory Collins, photographer. News room of the New York Times newspaper. 1942. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

The Library of Congress Serial & Government Publications Division maintains one of the largest, most comprehensive newspaper collections in the world and includes major titles published in all U.S. states and territories. These collections are available for researchers in the Newspaper & Current Periodical Reading Room (NCPRR).

While the Library's vast newspaper collection is primarily on microfilm, the Division also holds an extensive original print collection, including one of the largest 18th-century newspaper collections in the country. Also available are commemorative and anniversary newspaper editions, a collection of Civil War maps in contemporary newspapers, first printings of significant U.S. documents in newspapers, and a special collection of issues commemorating historic events. The Division acquires and offers subscription access to dozens of digital newspaper databases and maintains the Chronicling America database, a freely available online resource that features millions of pages of digitized historic newspapers.

This guide provides an overview of the Division's collections and formats, highlighting unique aspects of the newspaper collections such as our Special Collections. It also provides a jumpstart to searching for specific newspapers using our catalogs; the Reference Sources page provides suggested resources that complement the research of U.S. newspapers; the Additional Resources page provides links to our newspaper-related events and exhibits, as well as information about how to connect with us through social media to find out the latest in all things newspapers. For information about the Division's non-U.S. newspapers, please see this guide: Foreign Newspaper Collections at the Library of Congress.

About the Newspaper & Current Periodical Reading Room

The Serial & Government Publications Division maintains one of the most extensive newspaper collections in the world. Beyond its newspaper holdings, the Division also has extensive collections of current periodicals, government publications, and comic books. These collections are accessed in the Newspaper & Current Periodical Reading Room which is located in Room LM-133 in the James Madison building in Washington, D.C.