by Max Gulden

At the Ames Public Library, our in-house newspapers have a dedicated core userbase. There are regulars who come every day just to catch up on the news.

But you don’t have to make a trip to the library to peruse the news. That’s because the library offers multiple newspaper resources that you can access through our online resource list for free.

Accessing online library resources is easy. You can start by navigating to the library homepage at AmesPL.org. Next, select “Learn and Explore” (you may need to first select “More” or “Menu”) and then select the option “Online Learning.” This will load an alphabetical list of library resources to choose from, as well as a filtering tool to help you find specific types of resources.

To access past local newspapers, consider using the Ames Tribune Archive, which was created using the library’s microfilm collection and provides online access to Ames newspapers going all the way back to 1877. Conveniently, this archive is searchable. If you’re looking up historical events or people from Ames’ past, you can easily find everything the Ames newspapers published about them. 

One recent addition to our online resource list is Advantage Archives, which provides a directory to other libraries’ and cultural organizations’ similar online newspaper archives created using microfilm collections. This directory currently includes 248 organizations and counting in the state of Iowa alone.

For more current Ames Tribune content, the library has two options available via America’s News from News Bank. First, there is the option to access text-only articles up to and including today’s current issue, a service the library has long offered. Starting in 2024, the library made the decision to augment this text-only option with the option to view digital images of the contents of each issue just as it appears in print, including the current day. Conveniently, both of these options are searchable, allowing you to easily find content truly relevant to you. 

If digital access to major national newspapers is what you’re looking for, consider checking out the library’s access to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal online. For each newspaper, the library provides you a three-day access code free of charge. Get a new code as many times as you would like.

Whether you are looking for historical local news content, current local news, or major national news coverage, the Ames Public Library has you covered.