Harold Washington Library Center
Chicago Newspapers
Housed on the third floor of the Harold Washington Library Center, the Chicago Public Library Microfilm Newspaper Collection consists of the titles and holdings listed below. In addition, Woodson Regional Library and Sulzer Regional Library each possess limited microfilm collections; contact them directly for details.
Chicago Newspapers and Interlibrary Loan
Non-Chicago residents interested in photocopies of articles, obituaries or death notices from newspapers in our collection must submit a request to Interlibrary Loan (ILL) through their local library.
For obituary requests giving the date of death, ILL will search up to two newspapers for three days following that date. Other search requests must include specific information:
- the full name(s)
- exact date (day, month and year)
- exact location (city and county) of the occurrence
If ILL locates an obituary or article, the minimum photocopy fee will be $5.25 (25 cents per page + $5.00 handling) per request. Please do not send money; a bill will accompany the photocopy sent to the requestor’s local library.
The Chicago Public Library will send, free of charge, up to three reels of newspaper microfilm for viewing in other libraries to fulfill interlibrary loan requests. ILL will send microfilm for most of the newspapers on this list, except for pre-1900 newspapers, pre-1956 Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Evening American, Chicago Evening Post, Chicago Herald-Examiner, Chicago InterOcean, Chicago Today and the current 12 months of the Chicago Defender.
Chronology of Harold Washington Library Center Microfilm Holdings
| 1833-1834 | Chicago Democrat |
| 1835-1837 | Chicago American Chicago Democrat |
| 1838 | Chicago Democrat |
| 1839-1841 | Chicago Daily American Chicago Democrat |
| 1842 | Chicago Daily American Chicago Democrat Chicago Express (from October 24, 1842) |
| 1843 | Chicago Democrat Chicago Express (to October 30, 1843) |
| 1844-1845 | Chicago Democrat Chicago Journal (from August 31, 1844) |
| 1846-1848 | Chicago Journal |
| 1849-1851 | Chicago Journal Chicago Tribune |
| 1852-1854 | Chicago Democratic Press Chicago Journal Chicago Tribune |
| 1855-1857 | Chicago Democratic Press Chicago Journal Chicago Times Chicago Tribune |
| 1858-1859 | Chicago Daily Herald Chicago Journal Chicago Times Chicago Tribune |
| 1860-1871 | Chicago Journal Chicago Times Chicago Tribune |
| 1872-1874 | Chicago Journal Chicago Times Chicago Tribune Inter Ocean (from March 27, 1872) |
| 1875-1880 | Chicago Daily News (from December 1, 1875) Chicago Journal Chicago Times Chicago Tribune Inter Ocean |
| 1881-1884 | Chicago Daily News Chicago Herald Chicago Journal Chicago Record Chicago Times Chicago Tribune Inter Ocean |
| 1885 | Chicago Daily News Chicago Herald Chicago Journal Chicago Mail (from July 1, 1885) Chicago Record Chicago Times Chicago Tribune Inter Ocean |
| 1886-1889 | Chicago Daily Globe (from April 9, 1888) Chicago Daily News Chicago Evening Post (from March 1, 1886) Chicago Herald Chicago Journal Chicago Mail Chicago Record Chicago Times Chicago Tribune Inter Ocean |
| 1890-1894 | Chicago Daily Globe (to June 30, 1893) Chicago Daily News Chicago Evening Post Chicago Herald Chicago Journal Chicago Mail Chicago Record Chicago Times Chicago Tribune Inter Ocean |
| 1895-1901 | Chicago American Chicago Chronicle Chicago Daily News Chicago Evening Post Chicago Herald Chicago Journal Chicago Record Chicago Record Herald (from October 1901) Chicago Times-Herald Chicago Tribune Inter Ocean |
| 1902-1907 | Chicago American Chicago Chronicle Chicago Daily News Chicago Evening Post Chicago Herald Chicago Journal Chicago Record Herald Chicago Tribune Inter Ocean |
| 1908 | Chicago American Chicago Daily News Chicago Evening Post Chicago Examiner (from February 1, 1908) Chicago Herald Chicago Journal Chicago Record Herald Chicago Tribune Inter Ocean |
| 1909-1914 |
Chicago American |
| 1915-1917 | Chicago American Chicago Daily News Chicago Defender Chicago Evening Post Chicago Examiner Chicago Herald Chicago Journal Chicago Tribune |
| 1918 | Chicago American Chicago Daily News Chicago Defender Chicago Evening Post Chicago Examiner (to May 1, 1918) Chicago Herald (to April 30, 1918) Chicago Herald-Examiner (from May 1918) Chicago Journal Chicago Tribune |
| 1919-1928 | Chicago American Chicago Daily News Chicago Defender Chicago Evening Post Chicago Herald-Examiner Chicago Journal Chicago Tribune |
| 1929 | Chicago American Chicago Daily News Chicago Daily Times (from September 3, 1929) Chicago Defender Chicago Evening Post Chicago Herald-Examiner Chicago Journal (to August 21, 1929) Chicago Tribune |
| 1930-1932 | Chicago American Chicago Daily News Chicago Daily Times Chicago Defender Chicago Evening Post Chicago Herald-Examiner Chicago Tribune |
| 1933-1936 | Chicago American Chicago Daily News Chicago Daily Times Chicago Herald-Examiner Chicago Tribune |
| 1937-1939 | Chicago American (to July 31, 1939) Chicago Daily News Chicago Daily Times Chicago Defender Chicago Herald-American (from August 28, 1939) Chicago Herald-Examiner (to August 26, 1939) Chicago Tribune |
| 1940 | Chicago Daily News Chicago Daily Times Chicago Defender Chicago Herald-American Chicago Tribune |
| 1941-1947 | Chicago Daily News Chicago Daily Times Chicago Defender Chicago Herald-American Chicago Sun (from December 4, 1941) Chicago Tribune |
| 1948-1952 | Chicago Daily News Chicago Daily Times (to January 31, 1948) Chicago Defender Chicago Herald-American (to March 10, 1953) Chicago Sun (to January 31, 1948) Chicago Sun Times (from February 1, 1948) Chicago Tribune |
| 1953-1961 | Chicago American (from March 11, 1953 to February 28, 1962) Chicago Daily News Chicago Defender Chicago Sun Times Chicago Tribune |
| 1962-1969 | Chicago Daily News Chicago Defender Chicago Sun Times Chicago Tribune Chicago's American (from March 1, 1962 to April 27, 1969) |
| 1970-1971 | Chicago Daily News Chicago Defender Chicago Sun Times Chicago Today Chicago Tribune |
| 1972-1974 | Chicago Daily News Chicago Defender Chicago Reader Chicago Sun Times Chicago Today Chicago Tribune |
| 1975-1978 | Chicago Daily News Chicago Defender Chicago Reader Chicago Sun Times Chicago Tribune |
| 1979-present | Chicago Defender Chicago Reader Chicago Sun Times Chicago Tribune |