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Newspaper Research at the Texas State Library and Archives
ref@tsl.texas.gov
or
512-463-5455
Newspapers are daily or weekly publications containing news, feature articles, advertisements, and editorials. They can include announcements for events such as births, deaths, and weddings, as well as obituaries, accidents, and other events of significance.
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission's newspaper collections include newspapers on microfilm, original print newspapers, and digitized newspapers available online.
Partial page from Alamo Star, Sept. 2, 1854. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
See our newspapers on microfilm listing for reels that are available to use in person or request through interlibrary loan (ILL).
In person use. To request a hold in advance of your visit, call 512-463-5455 or email ref@tsl.texas.gov with the specific newspaper title(s) and date(s). We can hold up to five (5) reels for one week.
Interlibrary loan. If you're unable to visit us in person, your local library may submit a request on your behalf for up to five (5) microfilm reels from our collection. Ask your local library for more details about the ILL program. Find Texas libraries near you using our Find a Library tool.
Staff are unable to search newspapers on your behalf or provide you with copies.
See our original newspapers listing for newspapers available to use in the Archives reading room.
The original newspapers listing is organized alphabetically by newspaper title. To search the document, hold down the Ctrl and F keys on your keyboard, then enter your search terms.
In person use. To request a hold in advance of your visit, you may email archinfo@tsl.texas.gov with the newspaper title, date, and box number as provided in the listing.
Staff are unable to make copies or scans from our original newspapers.
The TSLAC Newspaper Collection 
in The Portal to Texas History includes newspaper images digitized from our original print and microfilm newspaper holdings, in partnership with the University of North Texas Libraries Texas Digital Newspaper Program . Browse or search newspapers by title, location, time period, and language.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers is a collection of digitized historic American newspapers from 1789-1963 available through a joint project of the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Includes searchable digitized images of several Texas and ethnic newspapers.
Subscription Databases
Our library subscribes to the Texas editions of Newspapers.com and Newspaper Archive. This includes all Texas newspapers available through these databases. On site access is available on the public computers in our reading rooms.
The following newspapers are available through the TexShare Databases program for patrons at participating libraries:
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Austin American Statesman (1871-1980)
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: El Paso Herald/El Paso Times (1881-2009, 2021-current)
Contact a TexShare library near you about access options. TSLAC offers on-site access to the TexShare Databases in our reading rooms and remote access to Texas residents who register at our library.
The Briscoe Center's Newspaper Collections at the University of Texas at Austin. Includes original format and microfilmed international, US, and Texas newspapers.
WorldCat.org . A catalog of library holdings worldwide, including libraries' holdings for specific newspaper titles.
The Library of Congress' US Newspaper Title Directory from 1690-Present . Search the directory by state, county, and time period. Click on a newspaper title to see a listing of libraries that may have copies.
Texas Press Association Newspaper Search . An online directory of Texas newspapers and their contact information. Current newspapers may have their own archives or back issues.
N. W. Ayer & Son newspaper directories. You can search by state and city, or browse alphabetically by newspaper title. The directories include details like: frequency, language, political affiliation, and notes on audience by religion or race. Early editions have been digitized through the Library of Congress and the University of North Texas . Copies in our collection are available for in person use and are described in our online catalog at:
- N. W. Ayer & Son's American newspaper annual: 1901 & 1908
- N. W. Ayer & Son's American newspaper annual and directory: 1910-1928 (incomplete)
- N. W. Ayer & Son's directory of newspapers and periodicals: 1930-1965 (incomplete)
Vertical File Index. List of clipping files available at TSLAC. Includes material from newspapers, magazines, Texas documents, pamphlets, and maps with information about Texas people, places, things, and events. Additions to this collection have been discontinued.
Local libraries. Check with libraries in the area about local newspaper collections. You can search for Texas libraries using our Find a Library tool.