British Newspaper Archive

[cbcarolyn]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before - but I have tried a search and didn't find it.

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

As I have had to lose several hours a day (3 times a week) in Hertfordshire as husband having treatment in Stevenage, I found that the library has free access to this site.  It is far better than Ancestry or find my past (both available in Herts) as you actually log into your account, and can pick up any searches you have done, and once visited in a library you can re-visit anywhere.

Bedfordshire now have free access also, and works in the same way.  You can take you own device or log in with their PCs. (FindMyPast not available in Beds)

Bucks apparently allow you to access from your home.

I think the site has a long way to go in searching and bookmarking, but what an amazing resource if you can find something!

[andrewalston]

Yes, it's owned by the same people as FindMyPast, and as far as I can make out, the same data is available on both (subscription permitting), but using different search methods. Some people search BNA without subscribing and then using FindMyPast to view the image once they know where it is.

I find the FindMyPast newspaper search particularly poor, but they recently added a new version for one particular paper as a trial, and I found it much better, even finding relevant results in an unexpected, though very restricted, part of the country.

[cbcarolyn]

It seems a bit 'buggy' to me, I save searches and then when I return to them - it sometimes highlights the text and other times it does not.  Things that I would like to do is search through my bookmarks, see all the pages I have visited not the first 5 pages, select which page to go to rather than moving on a few at a time...in fact so many improvements.

There seems to be a forum for asking for improvements, will take a closer look at that, you can only ask for so many.

However I am most impressed whilst at the library I can use my account, whereas ancestry and FindMyPast I have to download and then attach the items back to my account.  and the searching means I have to enter all the details.

[Mart 'n' Al]

More tomorrow, but the direct BNA search is better then via FindMyPast, but it still needs to get into the 21st century.

Martin

[Blue70]

Very generous of your local library service to provide it. Our one doesn't. It has Ancestry and Find My Past but the newspapers on Find My Past are not included. I like BNA. Great resource for looking up family notices.


Blue

[Mart 'n' Al]

The BN a claim that they're selling point is the fact that they have a more sophisticated search than find my past. I'm just nearing the end of a one year subscription, and it's been fascinating and I've used it a lot. However the search could be so much better. There is no option to be able to search for two words within say 3 or 4 words of each other on the page which would be so helpful. It's no good searching for two words and finding that they are in separate articles. Much of my work involved database management so I know what I'm talking about. You can't do anything about poor quality scans, but the search options need to be much more sophisticated. I often search for the surname Loughborough, and there is very little I can do to exclude the word Leicestershire at the same time.

Martin

[cbcarolyn]

I agree a lot they can do, even little things annoy me when i select a year then a month and then a day, if I then want to choose another day or month I have to start again, as it has made the date into a string.

I did use it a few years ago when I had a free month, and I am not sure that it has changed a lot.

I like the fact that you can correct transcriptions, and often do if I have time, even if it is just to change important words like names and places, but once again it is so hard to navigate around, you kind of want to drop a pin to make the selection.  I have no idea if others change - but if people do then they should make it much easier and then quality could improve.

[rosie99]

A lot of UK libraries also allow access from home using your library card number for The Times and some C19th Newspapers as well as current newspapers, magazines and books

[Blue70]

I have home use of Gale 19th century newspapers via Lancashire libraries. Pity they don't have more recent newspapers.


Blue