The following is a press release written by the folks at the Library of Congress:
Library of Congress Unveils Major Upgrades to Chronicling America Website
Enhanced Platform Improves Accessibility and Research Capabilities for Historic Newspapers
The Library of Congress has launched a significant upgrade to its Chronicling America website, the nation’s leading free resource for historical U.S. newspapers. The updated platform now integrates fully with the Library’s broader loc.gov digital collections, offering enhanced accessibility, modern design and powerful research tools across all devices.
The redesigned interface introduces numerous user-focused improvements, including a fully responsive design that ensures seamless use on computers, tablets and smartphones; enhanced image viewing for improved readability; and intuitive browsing options with refined filters. An upgraded advanced search tool provides greater precision, and a new interactive map allows users to explore digitized newspaper titles geographically.
All newly digitized newspapers will now appear exclusively on the upgraded site. Content uploads to the previous site have been discontinued, and existing URLs now automatically redirect to the updated platform. Users can explore the new features with the help of the Library’s Research Guide on using Chronicling America.
“Upgrading Chronicling America into the loc.gov platform allows us to share newspapers more broadly and connect them with books, maps, photographs, and other resources,” said Deborah Thomas, chief of the Serials & Government Publications Division. “We’re excited to see this long-planned project improve public access to historical newspapers and related collections.”
The National Endowment for the Humanities “has long partnered with the Library of Congress to preserve U.S. newspapers,” said National Endowment for the Humanities Acting Chairman Michael McDonald. “We are excited that this new platform will enhance broad public access to these invaluable primary sources about America’s past from any device. The ability to search historical newspapers alongside the Library’s vast digital collection will open new avenues for research for all of Chronicling America’s users.”
Launched in 2007 and last updated in 2011, the Chronicling America collection has expanded to include more than 23 million newspaper pages from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The website is a product of the National Digital Newspaper Program, a partnership between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The National Digital Newspaper Program continues to support newspaper digitization efforts in cultural institutions across the United States.
The public is invited to explore the new interface through notable newspaper stories, such as:
- Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech (Anti-Slavery Bugle, June 21, 1851)
- “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” (The Sun, Sept. 21, 1897)
- Titanic disaster coverage (New-York Tribune, April 16, 1912)
- Equal Suffrage article by Alice Stone Blackwell (The Commoner, Aug. 1, 1913)
- U.S. entry into World War II (Ypsilanti Daily Press, Dec. 8, 1941)
- “Supreme Court Bans School Segregation” (Key West Citizen May 17, 1954)
- “A Letter From the Birmingham City Jail: King’s Explanation of Non-Violent Approach,”(Evening Star, June 16, 1963).
- “Some Quaint Halloween Customs and Their Origin,” (The Evening Star, Oct. 26, 1913).
- “Girls Organize Sure ‘Nough Ball Club—Know How to Play,” (The Day Book, Jan. 6, 1916).
For more information and to access the collection, visit chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
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