The United States Newspaper Program is a cooperative national effort among the states and the federal government to locate, catalog, and preserve on microfilm newspapers published in the United States from the eighteenth century to the present. Funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Their website provides more information about the program, as well as points of contact and relevant websites for each state.
Where are microforms located?
Most microforms at the University of Maryland, College Park are housed in McKeldin Library in the first floor Periodicals Room. Included in this collection are a wide variety of newspapers on microfilm.
How do I find out if a newspaper is available on microfilm?
There are two basic ways to locate newspapers on microfilm:
1. If you have a particular publication in mind, look up that newspaper in the library catalog and review the Holdings information. There you can see if the University owns the paper in print or microform or has access to it electronically.
2. If you want to browse the microfilm newspaper collection, the easiest method is to review the guide entitled "Newspapers in McKeldin Periodicals/Microforms Room". This booklet is located in the Periodicals Room on a podium next to the periodicals window. See below:
A second copy of the guide is available from the librarians at the Information & Research Services Desk.
What newspapers are included in the microfilm collection?
The collection contains hundreds of newspapers in different genres:
1. Major American and foreign newspapers, such as USA Today and the Washington Post.
2. Subject-area newspapers, like American Banker, Education Week, and the Financial Times.
3. Local Interest newspapers, like the Alexandria Gazette and Baltimore's Afro-American.
4. Special collections, such as "Early English Newspapers," call number M-FILM AN183. E3.
For Further Information:
Refer to McKeldin Library's webpage devoted to periodical services, or this handy Subject Guide about the Library's microform collection.
