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NewspapersDotCom NYPL
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In 2017, The Buffalo History Museum began a partnership with Newspapers.com to digitize our Buffalo newspapers, specifically the ones in the public domain. They are all on microfilm. We do not have paper/hard copy versions of these newspapers.

We finished the English-language newspapers in 2019 and the foreign ones in 2023. We contributed over 9,000,000 pages of newspapers!

Because of copyright, we are unable to digitize 100% of our Buffalo newspaper films, so we have not discarded any of them. We still have an analog microfilm reader-printer, plus a microfilm scanner.

All museum guests can access our Newspapers.com subscription for free while in our building, on our WiFi. You may also access them at the Central Library on Lafayette Square.

At home, you need to use the New York Public Library’s subscription. The offerings are not identical at the two institutions. Below is a side-by-side comparison, followed by access instructions.

Questions? Email us at library@buffalohistory.org.

Updated August 19, 2025

Newspapers.com comparison

The Buffalo History Museum and The Buffalo & Erie Co. Public Library

New York Public Library (NYPL)

Geographic coverage

Limited to Buffalo-area newspapers from our collection that are copyright-eligible, with additions from The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library

Everything that Newspapers.com has acquired from multiple states & countries, including most but not all of our newspapers from Buffalo

Dates available

1811-1963, plus bonus access to the Buffalo News, 1880 to the present

Buffalo newspapers 1811 to 1926, plus a few from 1927-1963. Buffalo News 1880-1926 only.

Dates vary for other places.

At home access?

No, you must be in our building, on our guest WiFi

Yes, for residents of New York State, courtesy of the NYPL.org (more below).

But I don’t live in NY State!

Full text searchability?

Yes

Yes

Download & save articles?

Yes

Yes

How to use Newspapers.com at our museum

  1. Make an in-person library appointment

  1. Bring your own laptop or bring a flash drive and use one of our laptops

  1. Log on to our guest WiFi, then we’ll provide the link

How to use Newspapers.com via the NYPL

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  • If you are 13 or older and live, work, attend school, or pay property taxes in New York State, you can get a free digital library card from the New York Public Library (NYPL)

  • With that card, you can log into the NYPL website from anywhere and get into Newspapers.com

  • No guarantees how long the NYPL will offer free at-home access

Getting Started

  1. Apply for a NYPL library card at www.nypl.org/library-card/new

  1. Write down your barcode number and password

  1. Now click on Research or go to www.nypl.org/research.

4.  Scroll down and click on Articles & Databases

5.  Scroll down and click on Newspapers and Magazines

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6.  Click on Newspapers.com

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7.  Log in with your barcode number and password.

➡️ Important: You must return to NYPL.org to log in & search Newspapers.com. Your NYPL barcode number & password will not work at the Newspapers.com homepage.

But I Don’t Live in New York State!

  • See if your local public or college library subscribes to Newspapers.com

Short link to this page: https://tinyurl.com/TBHM-NYPL

Return to The Buffalo History Museum website