We operate a ‘surrogate first’ policy for our newspaper collection. A surrogate copy will be a microfilm or digital facsimile of the original newspaper, and this will be the copy you can access in our Reading Rooms.
If a surrogate copy exists, you will not be able to request the print copy.
This policy is designed to preserve the fragile original newspapers in our care. In many cases a surrogate will have been created because the original print newspaper is in a poor physical state and further handling will risk additional damage to the newspaper.
Print newspapers, with shelfmarks beginning NEWS, are now available to consult in our Newsroom at St Pancras or the Boston Spa Reading Room in Yorkshire, providing no surrogate copy is available. These are stored at the National Newspaper Building in Yorkshire so please allow at least two working days, excluding weekends and bank holidays, for delivery.
Only one volume of newspapers can be supplied per request. Please contact our News Reference team for assistance with ordering, if required.
Access to some print newspapers is restricted due to their fragile condition.
Please contact our News Reference team for advice.
Newspapers with shelfmarks beginning PENN are part of the rare books collection and are held in St Pancras, London. If no surrogate is available, you can complete an application form which is passed to our curators for assessment. Applications can take 3 working days, so please submit your request in plenty of time.
You may be able to find alternative holdings in another legal deposit or academic library via Library Hub Discover or Worldcat. For local newspapers you may find holdings at libraries or history centres local to the area you are researching.
Our reference team will always try and suggest an alternative, if one exists, so please contact us to see if this is possible.