19th c. newspapers: hiding but still there

[Coromandel]

I had a few moments of panic when I logged into the Gale databases this evening using my library ticket number and found that 19th Century Newspapers wasn't an option on their menu anymore.:willy_nilly: All sorts of conspiracy theories started forming in my mind: had Brightsolid finally got rid of their competition? Or was it the latest round of Oxfordshire County Council cuts?

There was great relief when I found that the 19th Century Newspapers can still be searched via the 'News Vault' option. This has a new interface more like the updated Times Digital Archive one (indeed you can search the TDA and the 19th c. newspapers simultaneously via News Vault).

It will take a while to get used to the new search - but there seem to be some improvements, such as ability to preview snippets without having to wait for a whole page to download.

(The choices available on the Gale menu probably depend on what your library service subscribes to, so this change may only affect others using Oxfordshire Libraries.)

[Sue Mackay]

Hmm. Glamorgan library card holders also get News Vault so I imagine it's universal. I have just typed Gilstain into the Search box and got no hits, when I used to get hits via the search box of the 19c Newspapers, so I don't know whether it's an improvement. Yet another new system for this old dinosaur to get to grips with :frown:

[mikejee]

Lancs library still seems the same

[AnnB]

Sue, when you did your search for Gilstain, did you change the options in the third row of boxes to 'entire document' instead of 'keyword'? That had me stumped for a while until I changed the option to entire document, did my search again and hey presto - results!

Best wishes
Ann

[Sue Mackay]

Sue, when you did your search for Gilstain, did you change the options in the third row of boxes to 'entire document' instead of 'keyword'? That had me stumped for a while until I changed the option to entire document, did my search again and hey presto - results!

Best wishes
Ann

Aha! Told you I was a dinosaur. Didn't really spend much time on it last night so will go back and have a proper look. Many thanks.

[sandiep]

from another old dinosaur thanks for these posts.........was next on my list( after BG of course) to log on to Oxfordshire Library and search the newspapers ................will get a strong coffee and a biccy for strength and try to get to grips with yet another new system.
I know we have to update occasionally but usually by time I have got to grips with new systems they change them again!!
Oh well gives the brain cells a work out

sandie

[pottoka]

from another old dinosaur thanks for these posts.........was next on my list( after BG of course) to log on to Oxfordshire Library and search the newspapers ................will get a strong coffee and a biccy for strength and try to get to grips with yet another new system.
I know we have to update occasionally but usually by time I have got to grips with new systems they change them again!!
Oh well gives the brain cells a work out

sandie

Exactly how I feel - you said it for me, Sandie, except for me it's tea and Derbyshire!

[Sandra Parker]

by time I have got to grips with new systems they change them again!!
Oh well gives the brain cells a work out
sandie

see, another sneaaky way to ensure we don't get Alzheimers.

Sandra whose spectacled aura is trying to learn something new every day, so she won't catch it either!

[Cheryl Jones]

Can you explain "will get a strong coffee and a biccy" to me??? is a biccy a biscuit/cookie? I'm trying to learn the lingo, lol!
Feeling sheepish,
Cheryl

[sandiep]

Hi Cheryl..............yes a biccy is english slang for a Biscuit or cookie............. sandie

[Coromandel]

Phew, panic over: the proper 19th Century Newspapers search form has reappeared (in Oxfordshire at least).

[helachau]

I was delighted to see it back on the site (LGC) menu I use - really missed the "n" search facility.

[pottoka]

I've finally got round to looking for the database and find
that the whole library site has been updated, i.e. mucked about
that, when I finally find the newspapers, I have too much choice!


There's NewsVault, 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Infotrac Custom Journals and Infotrac Full Text Custom Newspaper Database.

Now I don't know which one to choose! :confused5:

[Coromandel]

There's NewsVault, 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Infotrac Custom Journals and Infotrac Full Text Custom Newspaper Database.

Hi Pottoka

I don't know what you get in the 'Custom' Infotrac databases as Oxfordshire Libraries don't subscribe to those ones. NewsVault I think allows you to search simultaneously over all the Gale newspaper databases to which your library service subscribes: for me this is 'only' the 19th Century British Library Newspapers (Parts I and II) and the Times Digital Archive.

When forced to over the last couple of weeks I have been using NewsVault. Its preview facility is useful. Otherwise I prefer the old search form on the 19th Century B.L. Newspapers database. It isn't very beautiful but I am used to it. You can narrow down the date field much more quickly there than in the drop-down menu on NewsVault. This old post has some search tips:

http://www.british-genealogy.com/forums/showthread.php/68776-19th-c-British-Library-newspapers-search-tips

The OCR is far from perfect on these old newspapers, but you can't really complain when it is free.