Newspaper archives are libraries or archives specialized in periodical publications.
A newspaper library is a library that specializes in newspapers and other periodicals . It can work in your own building, in a specific room or a specific sector within a traditional library.
Newspaper archives can classify their content in different ways (by topic, country of origin or date). Many printed media have their own newspaper libraries, which function as archives where they store each of their publications. There are times when these newspaper archives are open to the general public, while, in other cases, only company employees or researchers are authorized to enter.
Newspaper archives and the Internet
The Internet has changed the way newspaper archives work. On the one hand, many newspaper archives have digitized their collections so that they can be consulted remotely through the Web. On the other hand, there are newspaper archives that, although they have not digitized their files, have developed some type of database so that the interested party can consult the catalog before going to the building.
A researcher, for example, enters a newspaper library site and searches for all publications that contain the expression “American History of the 16th Century.” After analyzing the results, you find five records of interest. The researcher can take note of the location or code of said publications to facilitate access to the material once they visit the newspaper library.
Among the virtual newspaper archives, the one developed by the Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library stands out. It presents the digital editions of numerous scientific and cultural magazines from various thematic areas, which can be accessed through search forms or lists of titles organized according to different criteria.
Magazines may be present in newspaper archives.
Classification according to type
It is important to note that within the newspaper archives we can find different classifications, for which each text included must meet a series of characteristics.
* Newspapers : This classification includes those periodical publications that present breaking news and have a particular format, in which a certain distribution of the news and a typography different from the rest of the daily publications can be highlighted.
In turn, they can be classified according to their content or their area of implementation.
-Due to their content , they can be general or specialized information. (In both cases it is required that they be texts of an informative nature but in the second case precision in the use of a specific scientific language is also required).
-Due to their area of implementation, they can be local, regional, provincial, national or international. (They always have the objective of informing, but depending on the type of audience that is going to read it, they will use a brief vocabulary or that specific to a region).
* Magazines : Although their content could resemble newspapers and even some books, they are distinguished by their external appearance. Like books, they have a summary similar to the index; and as for its similarity to newspapers, mention may be made of the regularity of its appearance.
They can also be classified by their content, general or specialized . And by the public to which they are directed, as techniques (oriented to an audience that handles a certain vocabulary and specific knowledge about a topic) or dissemination (developed for all audiences, with few demands).
* Bulletins, annals and reports : They usually come out on an annual basis and are prepared by institutions that wish to share with the general public or with those who are part of it, the activities they carry out there. In addition, they can provide them with knowledge regarding studies or research.
They are widely used in academies to share the organization's activities with students and provide them with data that can help them in their academic work.