It is said that newspapers are the first draft of history, and for historical and biographical research, newspaper reports are excellent sources. Newspaper reports from the day after certain events (9/11 and Pearl Harbor, for example) can be considered primary sources. Newspaper and news magazine reports also present issues in a non-technical manner because they are written for everyday people, rather than scholars and experts.
Another thing to note: If you are doing a research assignment for a class that requires "primary sources," newspaper reports of an event count. A primary source can be defined as a first-hand account from a time period that you are studying.
Depending on your research needs, and the requirements for your research project, newspapers are a valuable information source. Our newspaper databases allow you to search through dozens or hundreds of newspapers at once, whether in the United States or globally, without the hassles of pop-up ads, subscription solicitations and other things you may encounter searching a newspaper's website.
Another bonus of using our databases: sample citations can be created and downloaded.
To access the following databases, you must sign in with your C-GCC email address and password.
Listed below are local and regional print newspapers the library subscribes to. We retain the current six months for print newspapers:
The New York Times is an excellent source for historical research. The Times's website has a search engine that can locate articles back to 1851. It is possible to search for Times coverage of significant historical events, such as the first lunar landing, Pearl Harbor, or 9/11.