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Arizona Newspaper Project

The first Arizona newspaper, the Weekly Arizonian, was published in Tubac in 1859.   By 1870, the title had become the Tucson Citizen.   Over one hundred and forty years later it continues to report life and times in southern Arizona.

Many other newspapers we read today--the Bisbee Daily Review, The Sun in Yuma, The Arizona Republic in Phoenix and The Daily Courier in Prescott--had their beginnings in territorial Arizona.   Before statehood, two hundred newspapers were published in sixty towns; today over one hundred and twenty continue.   They all provide written records of our communities and links to our heritage.

Newspapers are indispensable resources for historians, genealogists, journalists and business people.   But they are often victims of neglect or destruction.   In an effort to preserve them, Library of Congress created the United States Newspaper Program.   The Arizona Newspaper Project (ANP) is one of the program's 50 state projects, all funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities.   ANP is based at the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records in Phoenix.

OUR PLAN

First Phase:
In 1991, a survey was conducted to identify Arizona newspapers and their locations.   The Project identified 1,520 titles.

Second Phase:
From 1994 to 2002, Project staff visited or contacted 166 libraries, archives, historical societies, museums, publishers and private collectors throughout the state.   They examined each newspaper and recorded bibliographic and holdings information.   They also noted the physical condition of each paper.   To date, 1,744 Arizona newspaper titles have been cataloged.   The records were entered into the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) database, which is available to researchers through libraries worldwide.

Third Phase:
Because most newsprint is made of wood pulp, it yellows, becomes brittle and disintegrates with time.   It cannot be expected to last more than fifty years.   On the other hand, microfilm produced according to archival standards can last 200 years or longer.   As of 2003, the Project has filmed over one million pages, encompassing newspaper titles from 57 communities throughout the state.   You may see a list of titles of newspapers that have been filmed or are in the process of being filmed.   The microfilm may be viewed at the History and Archives Division of Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, borrowed on interlibrary loan, or purchased from the Records Management Division.

ACCESS

To help researchers identify and locate Arizona newspapers, the Project has created a database that can be searched by title, city, county, subject, and OCLC number.

The staff of the Law and Research Library Division of the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records can assist researchers with locating newspapers in the Library and Archives' online catalog.

The staff of the History and Archives Division provide access to historical Arizona newspapers and can answer questions regarding Arizona's history.

CONTACT US

If you have Arizona newspapers or have questions about them, please contact the Arizona Newspaper Project (ANP) by e-mail or call or write to the staff listed below:

Arizona Newspaper Project
Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records
1700 West Washington Room 342
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Telephone:  (602) 926-3720

See also:   Current Arizona newspapers subscribed to by the Law and Research Library

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