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.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

Tulane University Special Collections (TUSC) is pleased to announce a digitized collection of Black New Orleans nightlife posters, 1979-1980, newly published via the Tulane University Digital Library. 

The collection consists of posters representing concerts and other music and dance events presented in New Orleans and the surrounding region for young participants who made up the primary target audience for R&B, funk, disco, DJ and dance culture, and hip hop in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The posters reveal happenings, locations, events, businesses, photographs, and both locally and nationally known artists of Black New Orleans popular culture and youth culture of the time. 

Notable local artists listed include Johnny Adams, Chocolate Milk, The Creators (featuring Branford Marsalis and Wynton Marsalis), DJ Sabu, the Electrified A. G. B. (All Girls Band), Earl King, Bobby Marchan, The Meters, the Sugar Hill dancers, Patsy Valdez, Walter Wolfman Washington, and more. Notable locations for events or tickets include the Autocrat Club, City Park Stadium, Crash Landing, D.H. Holmes, Dooky Chase, I.L.A. Hall, Municipal Auditorium, Our Lady of Lourdes School Gym, Prout’s Club Alhambra, Saenger Theatre, Werlein’s, and more.  

The selected posters are a sub-collection from the Hogan Archive poster and calendar collection, HJA-095, of the Hogan Archive of New Orleans Music and New Orleans Jazz, a unit of Tulane University Special Collections.

The digitized collection of Black New Orleans nightlife posters, 1979-1980, is accessible at this link: https://library.search.tulane.edu/discovery/collectionDiscovery?vid=01TUL_INST:Tulane&collectionId=81478083450006326

For more information, contact Hogan Archive curator Melissa A. Weber at mweber3@tulane.edu or 504-247-1807. To learn more about Tulane University Special Collections, visit the TUSC website at library.tulane.edu/tusc, email specialcollections@tulane.edu, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram. 

The following is a press release written by the folks at: DigitalNC.

Thanks to the owners and publishers, we are excited to announce that the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.) is now available on DigitalNC! This latest addition includes 154 issues, spanning from May 1999 to May 2025. The island newspaper is published monthly from March to December, and covers news about Ocracoke Island and its residents. Featured below is an example of the exciting stories that can be found in the Ocracoke Observer, but DigitalNC visitors should be sure to check out more issues, linked here, to discover more stories making waves across the island.

A front page story from the March 2021 issue of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.)

To search through all available issues of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.), click here.

Information about the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.) can be found on their website here.

The University of Notre Dame Australia’s internationally-renowned expert on the Kennedy political dynasty, Associate Professor Leigh Straw, has authored a fascinating new book that reveals how one summer in the 1940s shaped the trajectory of the famous political family.

The Kennedys at Cape Cod, 1944: The Summer That Changed Everything tells the overlooked story about a time when the Kennedy family, already stressed by an inter-faith marriage “scandal”, is broken by the human tragedy of war.

The book gives an insight into a devastating turning point faced by the Kennedy family before they become the larger-than-life, heroic and tragic figures depicted in both history books and popular culture.

It takes the reader back to a time when the US was on the cusp of becoming a superpower and invites reflection on central characters within American political history.

Associate Professor Straw has spent years working in the archives at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston to bring to life the Kennedy’s summer of 1944 for the first time.

Backed by leading global publisher Bloomsbury, the book is international recognition of her standing as a researcher into a topic typically dominated by American scholars.

“This is a story that resonates today in terms of looking back on significant American political families in what many would regard as a more settled time in political affairs domestically for the US,” Associate Professor Straw said.

“It’s a fascinating book about the ‘what ifs’ of the past. What if JFK’s older brother, Joe Jr, hadn’t been killed in WWII? He was the first political hopeful of the family. Would he have been successful in politics? He was far more conservative than JFK and may have divided more people.”

Associate Professor Straw has been invited to Boston, Hyannis and Washington D.C. to launch the book this month.

She has been invited to take part in the Summer Author Series at the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum during the Labor Day weekend in the US, which draws big crowds to the Cape Cod region.

The book has been endorsed by three best-selling Kennedy scholars, including Harvard University’s Pulitzer Prize winning historian, Professor Fredrik Logevall.

“The summer of 1944 was an extraordinary time for the Kennedys and for America, and Leigh Straw captures the moment wonderfully in this absorbing narrative,” Professor Logevall wrote.

“With nuance and sensitivity, she deepens our understanding of a fraught – and consequential – moment in a family’s history.”

The publication of this book highlights Associate Professor Straw’s contribution to understanding the past not merely to document historical events, but as a means to uncover the lived experiences that shape our understanding of society today.

The Kennedys at Cape Cod, 1944: The Summer That Changed Everything will be released worldwide on 7 August.

The following is a press release written by the folks at the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

Japanese Instrument of Surrender The Japanese Instrument of Surrender ended World War II on September 2, 1945. In the surrender, Japan formally agreed to the terms set forth in the Potsdam Declaration, and ordered a cessation of hostilities of all Japanese forces.  There are additional instruments of surrender that were carried out at other areas under Japanese control, including South Korea, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and other Pacific islands. The Japanese Instrument of Surrender will go on view as a Featured Document Display at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, on Thursday, August 28, 2025. Japanese Instrument of Surrender, page 1, September 2, 1945.  NAID: 1752336 We Can Do It! This iconic poster presents a powerful image of a woman war worker's strength and determination during World War II.  In 1942, the Westinghouse Company's War Production Coordinating Committee hired Pittsburgh artist J. Howard Miller to create a series of posters for the war effort. His "We Can Do It!" poster was initially used only internally by Westinghouse; it resurfaced decades after the war and soon became associated with the "Rosie the Riveter" moniker. Click here to explore more historical posters and graphic works held by the National Archives. “We can do it!” poster, ca. 1942. NAID: 535413 Pieces of History: USS Indianapolis July 30, 2025, marked the 80th anniversary of the sinking of USS Indianapolis (CA-35), a Portland-class heavy cruiser secretly tasked with delivering parts of the first atomic bomb to the Pacific Island of Tinian during World War II.  With its task completed, on the night of July 30, 1945, two weeks before the end of the war, while sailing from Guam to Leyte, the Indianapolis was torpedoed twice by a Japanese submarine. The crew of 1,199 men ended up in the waters of the Pacific. Accounts of the disaster are preserved in oral histories of those who survived. USS Indianapolis (CA-35) - Cruiser. NAID: 496082659

Michelle Henry, a research historian with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is being recognized by the state’s Genealogical and Biographical Society. The Preservation in Action: The Power of One award honors leaders and trendsetters whose “cutting edge” work inspires, educates and has a lasting impact on the genealogy and family history field.

Michelle Henry began her history career as the director of the Chautauqua County Historical Society in Westfield. In 1996 she was hired by County Clerk Sandra Sopak to organize the historical records maintained by the county. With the help of numerous federal, state, and local grants, a state-of-the-art archival program was established.

Chautauqua County became the first county in the United States to receive an award of Merit from the National Genealogical Society for making historical records available to researchers. In 2000, Henry was named County Historian, a post she held until she retired in 2023.

Henry was the recipient of the Julia Reinstein Awarded for Excellence in the Field of Public History in 2011 and in 2012 she received the Wheeler B. Melius Award for Excellence in Establishing a Records Management Program for the county. Michelle is one of only two historians in Chautauqua County that is a certified Registered Historian. She has served as a consultant for the state’s Museum Collection Assessment Program, working with and advising small museums in Western New York.

The county’s history has been featured in many articles written by Henry, published in state and regional magazines, and she has given talks throughout New York and Pennsylvania on local history and historical records.

Founded in 1869, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) is the oldest and largest genealogical society in New York State.Researchers can search records on the Society’s website at:  www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org

Folklore, true crime, buried treasure and Elvis.

These are among the stories Oxford County residents have recounted as the southwestern Ontario regional municipality celebrates its 175th anniversary. 

To mark the special milestone, Oxford County has launched a new book titled, Growing Stronger Together: A Celebration of Oxford County's Past. The project was born during the COVID pandemic, when the county's archivists started a blog to gather stories of the region's past. As the blog continued to grow, they decided to put it all into a unique local history book. 

CBC's Afternoon Drive guest host Kate Adach spoke to Oxford County archivist Liz Dommasch to learn more about the project. 

The following has been edited for length and clarity: 

Kate Adach: What has it been like to see these stories pour in, and to work on this project?

Liz Dommasch: Honestly, this has been a long time coming and since the pandemic, essentially when we started our blog, we kind of knew we wanted to pull it together into a book. But we also knew that although we're experts of the county's history, I wouldn't say we know everything about it. Hence why we reached out to others to collaborate on this project. 

There were some we knew, there were some that were obviously new to us, which is always exciting because we're always learning new things. And I just think overall it's a great representation of the county as a whole and some of the really unique stories within it.

KA: Can you tell me how it works? People submit a story and then, as an archivist, do you look for documents to kind of verify their story?

LD: We left it up to the contributors. Many were already in the heritage field — local museums or heritage groups — so they kind of already knew what they were doing. And then some of the articles are honestly people's personal recollections of growing up in the county. So we kind of left it to them to provide the accuracy. But we have an inkling about most of the stories, so we knew we were on the right track.

KA: What surprised you the most about what you heard?

LD: There's definitely a lot of really quirky stories, which are kind of neat things that you wouldn't necessarily think about. I mean, we had a supposed pond monster in Ingersoll in the 1800s. We have not one, but two stories of buried treasure. Obviously we have a lot of stories about some of the crimes that happen in the county — some really gruesome — and then some on the funnier side.

And then we also have generic histories of the county itself, so the county's government, buildings like the courthouse and the jail, and famous people, or maybe not-so-famous that will hopefully become famous after people read the book.

KA: You mentioned two stories of buried treasure?

LD: Yes! We have one story of alleged buried gold near Springford, which is in the south part of the county, and then another similar story but up near Beachville. Both claim that there was gold during the War of 1812 that was buried by soldiers. Another one was gold that was stolen sometime during the night when soldiers were supposed to be looking over it.

Over the years, people have claimed to come look for it. We had one gentleman with a story about 1929 who claimed he had psychic abilities and one of the deceased soldiers told him where the treasure was buried if he ever were to find it. I don't know if it's ever been found or if it's still there.

KA: It's funny, on one hand you left the stories up to people to share. But at the same time, I hear you say "alleged," as if the archivist in you wonders about the stories' credibility?

LD: Well, when it comes to the folklore stories, they're great just as stories. But again, a lot of them are kind of up there with the facts. For example, the one we've been teasing with the book is about Elvis. And people often think, what does Elvis have to do with Oxford County? But in our county courthouse, in the tower, there are hundreds of signatures on the wall from people who visited the courthouse over the years. And one of those so-called signatures up there is "Elvis Presley," and it's dated September 1957. 

Now, we know for a fact that he actually was in Canada in 1957, he had a show in Toronto. However, the signature says Elvis Presley September 1957, but he performed in Toronto in April. So, I mean, it's a very far stretch to think that he stopped in Oxford. The fable has gone so far as to say that he came in town in his pink Cadillac, had been arrested for speeding and spent the night in jail. But again, there is no way of knowing, but it's a fun story to share. 

KA: For people who want to check out the book, where can they do that and learn more?

LD: The book is for sale at the archives as well as the Ingersoll and Tillsonburg branches of the Oxford County library, and then it's also on sale at our county administration building.

For the first time in more than 30 years, the Wyoming State Archives is updating its service fees to support the long-term preservation and accessibility of Wyoming’s irreplaceable public records.

The new fee schedule, which takes effect Sept. 1, reflects rising operational costs and decades of technological advancement, according to a news release. Archives officials said the adjustments are modest, carefully considered, and essential to maintaining the high level of service, security, and stewardship the public expects from the state’s official repository.

“While much has changed in how we preserve and share records, our fees have not kept pace,” Wyoming State Archivist Sara Davis said in the release. “These updates allow us to meet today’s needs while planning for tomorrow’s access.”

Since the early 1990s, the State Archives has provided reliable access to essential records, from property deeds and court documents to historical photographs and oral histories, serving researchers, legal professionals, government agencies, and the general public. Over that time, utilities, insurance, technology, and staffing costs have increased significantly, while the State Archives’ fee structure remained largely unchanged.

The updated fees will help sustain critical services such as digitization, research assistance, and document reproduction, all while keeping core offerings affordable and accessible. Self-service copying options, including microfilm reader prints, will remain at 25 cents per page. More specialized services, such as high-resolution digital scans or in-depth research assistance, will see modest increases aligned with peer institutions nationwide.

Under the new schedule, staff-made black and white copies will cost $1.25 per page, digital photograph scans will be $15 per image, and research assistance beyond an initial 30 minutes will be available at $40 per hour. The State Archives emphasized that fees continue to operate at cost-recovery levels and that public funding still covers a large portion of access and preservation efforts, the release states.

Revenue from these updates will help modernize digital preservation systems, improve public access tools, and support staff expertise, ensuring the State Archives can serve Wyoming citizens for decades to come. It will also sustain outreach programs such as the State Archives Speaker Series and the Roving Archivist Program, which help local communities care for their historical collections.

“We’re committed to providing accessible, meaningful connections to Wyoming’s past,” Davis said. “These changes support that mission while keeping our services responsive, sustainable, and rooted in public value.”

The full fee schedule is available online at wyoarchives.wyo.gov/index.php/get-a-copy/copy-prices-and-rules, and State Archives staff will assist patrons during the transition.

The Wyoming State Archives, a division of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, is the permanent repository for state government records and provides access to materials documenting the lives, landscapes, and legacy of Wyoming and its people.

Wyoming State Archives is located at 2301 Central Ave. in the Barrett Building in Cheyenne. For more information, visit wyoarchives.wyo.gov.

The Detre Library and Archives, located at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, will launch a new series of genealogy workshops, with the first scheduled to take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 12.

The workshops will focus on family histories of blue-collar workers — steel mills, glass factories and beyond.

The first installment will be entitled, Blue-Collar Ancestry: Tracing Your Steelworker Roots. Each segment will explore a specific industry, with a focus on locating key genealogical records to illuminate the working lives of blue-collar ancestors, officials stated. 

The first session will focus on Western Pennsylvania steelworkers and the rich, often underutilized, historical sources that can help reconstruct their lives. Professional genealogist Kate Townsend will guide participants through essential records and research strategies, including how to find employment files, union records, company newsletters, historic photographs and more. Local archivists will deliver lightning talks showcasing lesser-known resources within their collections that hold significant genealogical value related to the steel industry.

The program will highlight the center’s multi-year partnership with Ancestry.com, to digitize more than 100,000 employee files from the Jones and Laughlin Steel Pittsburgh Works. A significant portion of these records is searchable online, offering a rare opportunity to explore the individual experiences of steelworkers across generations. Admission will be $5 for history center members and $10 for non-members.

This will be a hybrid program. Attendees can participate online or in-person.

For information or to purchase tickets, visit heinzhistorycenter.org/events.

Wiltshire folk are rightly proud of their roots – and now residents can find out just how Wiltshire their surname truly is.

A comprehensive new study from UK family history website Findmypast uses millions of digitised local census and parish records dating back to the 1500s.

The study reveals which surnames have the deepest historical roots, which are now rarely seen, and offers insights into jobs and movement over time.

Some surnames go back centuries and appear frequently in parish records from as early as the time of Henry VIII.

Smyth, Whatley, Pinchine (or Pinchin) and Marchant are some of the surnames that have strong links to our county.

Wiltshire’s ancient trades are etched into its names. In the 1500s, surnames like Stone, Baker, Carter, and Cooper reflected occupations that built the region — from masonry and agriculture to food and barrel-making.

The surname Stone, for instance, nods to the long history of quarrying and stonecraft around Salisbury Plain.

By the 19th and 20th centuries, names like Jones, Williams, Thomas, and Davis surged into Wiltshire’s top rankings.

These are classic Welsh surnames, and their increasing presence points to migration from Wales and the border counties — likely drawn by opportunities in railway works, agriculture, and the cloth industry.

Jones, for example, moved from 16th in rank in the 1500s to 2nd most popular by 1911.

Some surnames, such as Tucker, Tompson, Stephens (or Stevens) are sadly in decline, however, due to migration and marriage patterns over time, with more localised names eroding as generations move away to find work.

Yet some surnames have increased in popularity over time in Wiltshire. One striking example of this is Webb – which rose in rank from 19th most popular in the 1500s to become its eighth most prevalent by 1911 and further to 6th by 1921.

Jen Baldwin, research specialist at Findmypast, said: “This research gives us more than just name statistics — it’s a map of cultural change through Wiltshire’s rich and varied past.

“Surnames carry the voices of our ancestors, the geography of forgotten villages, and the legacy of occupations, dialects, and kinship.

“Tracing their rise and fall offers a fresh window into Britain’s evolving identity, as well as unlocking clues in piecing together your own family’s story.

“Now, it’s as easy as typing in your surname on Findmypast to start delving into your roots.”

Explore Your Wiltshire Surname

To see how your surname ranks across time — or where it first appears — visit www.findmypast.co.uk/surname

Simply type in your surname and explore billions of historical records in an instant.