In this lecture, attendees will learn how to navigate the rapidly expanding but often fragmented landscape of digitized historical periodicals. While newspapers offer unparalleled glimpses into an ancestor’s life through biographical details and social context, locating the specific title and date needed can be a significant challenge. This session provides a methodical framework for identifying and accessing both major and niche digital repositories, ranging from large commercial databases to specialized state and ethnic archives like the Swedish American Newspapers collection. Participants will gain practical strategies for using professional discovery tools—such as Chronicling America, the Google News Archive, and the Ancestor Hunt—to reveal previously unknown details and develop new research paths based on the stories discovered in the digital press.

Experience level: beginning/intermediate