Newspapers

We collect a copy of every newspaper published in Scotland and all the main UK national papers.

Newspapers are useful for your family history research because they contain things like:

• Notices of birth, death and marriage

• Obituaries

• Advertisements for emigration

• Local business adverts and information

• News, events and historical information about an area.

Library members with a Scottish address can access a selection of newspaper databases remotely. Some databases like the British Newspaper Archive can only be accessed onsite at our Edinburgh or Glasgow buildings.

You can also request to look at physical newspaper copies in our reading rooms in Edinburgh through our main catalogue. Also see our Guide to Scottish Newspaper Indexes to find out which newspapers are held at the Library and other libraries.