Newspapers on Microfilm

The Newspapers on Microfilm Collection holds more than 5,000 newspaper titles on over 100,000 reels. These titles are from every one of Illinois’ 102 counties, ranging from the early 1800s to present day. We also have some newspapers from other states, such as Missouri, New York, and many southern states, from the time frame of the Civil War. We also hold the Illinois Herald (Kaskaskia, Illinois) from 1814, which is the earliest newspaper published within the state.

Also available in the Newspapers on Microfilm Collection are selected, microfilmed materials from the Library’s Published Materials and Manuscripts Collections. We have the microfilmed records for the HIBS/HIER Program, which is run by the Historic Preservation Division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Newspaper Holdings

To view a list of the Library's newspaper holdings in alphabetical order by town, visit our newspaper holdings page

Newspaper Index

We do have some newspapers for which we have an index, either online or in print. Follow this link to see what is available. Information for the Illinois State Journal online index would be on this page and then an old handout with listing of indexes would be on this page.

Research Appointments

Collections must be used in the Reading Room.  Appointments are recommended, but not required.  To make an appointment, contact the Reference Desk at (217) 524-6358, or email alplm.reference@illinois.gov Requests to view materials may be made in advance through Aeon please visit our how to access page for more information.

Reproductions

If you cannot make it to the ALPLM to conduct research, you can order a photocopy of an obituary or article by submitting a request through Aeon, our online ordering system. Please thoroughly review our copyright statement and fee schedule. Personal photographs may be taken in the Reading Room, please review our camera policy. 

Obituary Index

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 Index page. 

Newspapers on Microfilm

Newspapers on Microfilm