In the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library's Newspaper Microfilm Collection there are more than 5,000 newspaper titles preserved on nearly 100,000 reels. The Library holds newspaper titles from every one of Illinois' 102 counties. Many date from the early nineteenth century, including the earliest newspaper published in Illinois, the Illinois Herald from Kaskaskia (1814). The Library subscribes to more than 300 current newspaper titles.
Also available from the 100,000 reels in the Newspapers on Microfilm Collection are selected, copied materials from the Library’s Printed Materials Collection, as noted in the online catalog.
Index to Illinois State Journal (1831–1860) now online
Search issues of the Illinois State Journal and its predecessors from 1831 through 1860. The index, online for the first time, covers the first issue of the Sangamon Journal on November 10, 1831 through 1847; the Illinois Journal from 1847 – 1855; and the Illinois State Journal from 1855 – 1860. Topics are largely Illinois-related, but you can search people, places and events, alphabetically and chronologically, making this a valuable resource for all researchers! All newspapers are available on interlibrary loan.
Journal Index #1 - 1831-1850 [125 MB]
Journal Index #2 - 1851-1860 [59 MB]
List of Holdings
To view a list of the Library's newspaper holdings in alphabetical order by town, visit our
Holdings page.
Obituary Finder
To find citations to obituaries that have appeared in Illinois newspapers and have been located by users researching our extensive newspaper microfilm collection, visit our
Obituary Finder page.
Copying
Purchase a "cash card" to produce copies in the Newspaper Collection. Copies are 25¢ per page. A card dispenser machine is located on the first floor in the Steve Neal Reading Room, and cards also may be purchased in the Newspaper Collection. After purchasing the card for $1, patrons may add value as needed. The cash card may be used to make photocopies throughout the Library.
Purchase Microfilm
To purchase newspapers on microfilm, visit our Microfilming Lab page.
Contact
Jan Perone, Newspaper Librarian
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
112 North Sixth Street
Springfield, IL 62701
jan.perone@illinois.gov
217-558-8856
Borrow Microfilm
To borrow microfilm, visit our Interlibrary Loan of Microfilm Collection page.