PRESS RELEASE
22-7-2015
Treasure trove of information: 15 million historical
newspaper articles available on new-look website
Fifteen million articles from more than 120 newspaper titles published in Wales between 1804 and 1919 are now available to read on the National Library of Wales' new-look Welsh Newspapers Online website.
Key events in Welsh history, from the Chartist uprising of 1839 to the 1904-1905 Methodist Revival, are among the stories covered during this period; the progress of the First World War (1914-1918) is also reported in depth. Details of everyday life are documented, from church services and Whitsun teas to sporting fixtures, while cultural events such as the Eisteddfod are covered in detail.
First launched in 2013, the free website, which includes both Welsh and English-language publications, has recently been updated with an extra 400,000 pages, including many new titles.
The website has an updated look and several new features. Users can browse by image such as cartoons, graphs, maps or photographs and can link articles to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. The website also adapts to the size of the screen being used, whether a computer, tablet or mobile phone.
The ‘boolean’ search method is now available, which is the ability to undertake a detailed search using the words ‘and’, ‘or’ or ‘not’ along with the subject. For the first time, too, it's possible to limit searches to the language of the publication; it is also possible to search specific years.
The website is continually being developed and the Library welcomes all feedback. Users can make comments using the 'Contact us' link on the website.
Dr Dafydd Tudur, Digital Access Manager at the National Library of Wales, said:
“A wealth of detail about life in all corners of Wales over a period of a century and more is available on this website, which is an easy-to-use and free resource.
“It's straightforward to find information by searching for a name, place or subject and our hope is that this resource will be of great educational, economic and social benefit to Wales."
Ends
For more information please contact Hannah Thomas on hannehelinor@googlemail.com or 07810 794853 or Lydia Whitfield at Effective Communications on LWhitfield@effcom.co.uk or 07890 953402
Editor’s notes
- The National Library of Wales can be found off Penglais Hill in Aberystwyth. It is clearly sign-posted along the main roads into the town.
- Entry to the Library is free. The Library is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9.30am-6.00pm and on Saturdays between 9.30am-5.00pm.
- Welsh Newspapers Online is part-funded by the Strategic Capital Investment Fund and the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.