Did you know that on-site at the Library you can access a complete archive of the Johnson City Press dating back to 1934? Thanks to our partnership with Ancestry’s Newspapers.com, you can find any article or obituary published in the Press in the last 90 years.
To search this fully digitized and indexed database, you must be connected to the Library’s Wi-Fi, either on a Library computer or personal device. You can save and print articles in the second-floor Computer Center.
We talked recently with Zachary Harris, the Library’s Local History and Genealogy Specialist, about why this archive is important for our users’ historical research.
JCPL: Why are you excited to offer this resource to the public?
Zachary: I’m happy that we provide users with this database mainly because of its sheer ease of access and use. While many institutions, including our own, have the Johnson City Press on microfilm reels, it’s quite difficult to find needed information if you only have a vague idea of when something was published.
In contrast, the digitized archive has a fully text-searchable database, making it much easier to locate obituaries, articles, and important historical news. Also, the fact that any patron can access it while connected to our Wi-Fi network, even on their own devices, eliminates a lot of the time-consuming aspects of researching the Johnson City Press.
What are a couple of cool things you’ve learned from using the archive?
Recently, I used the archive to look for an article about a police chase that went through Greene and Carter counties in the late 1990s. A Library user was hoping to locate the immediate write-up after the chase happened. Searching the archive, I ended up finding the article and, after getting the exact date, found a televised video of the chase itself. The user was particularly interested in the chase because it was supposedly (although I haven’t personally verified this) one of the first times that spike strips were deployed in our region.
Another mystery the archive helped me solve was related to a sculpture adorning the Library’s previous building. I had come across some blank greeting cards with the word “Vrana” on them that mentioned our old building and sculptural work. I had asked around and no one knew where these cards were from.
Eventually, while searching the database I found an article that solved the mystery. These cards were referring to the artist, Al Vrana, who sculpted panels for the building. With that context, I was able to file those cards in our Library history boxes.
Having explored the database yourself, do you have any tips for users on how they can use it most effectively?
For better searching in the archive, don’t be afraid to use date ranges, partial keywords, or the “categories” drop down in the search menu. If you have a pretty good idea that an article was published sometime in 1975, for example, you could type “Jan 1, 1975 – Dec 31, 1975” in the date field or manually select that range in the date drop down menu. Swinging wide at first then slowly narrowing down your range is more painstaking but can ensure you don’t miss what you’re searching for.
Breaking up keywords is also a useful strategy for information you’re unsure about. For example, if you’re looking for “police chase” in the Press but the article used synonyms of those words, it may be buried in your search. Breaking it up into “chase,” or trying “pursuit,” or throwing a synonym for “police” in the search are all methods I have used for tricky keywords.
Also, although it is not always 100% accurate, using categories like “obituaries” or “marriages” can not only refine your searches, but also summarize relevant information found within articles.
As the Library’s Local History and Genealogy Specialist, what do you use the database for?
I use the archive primarily to assist the public in their research. Most often I’m searching for obituaries or articles to help a user who is either homebound or out-of-state. When most of the Johnson City Press is only available to researchers in formats like microfilm, I have the ability to fill gaps for people who may not have the opportunity to personally seek out the material.
Other than helping with users’ research, it also assists me in my research and writing about Johnson City’s history and the Library’s history. I have used supplemental information from the archive in just about every Library blog I’ve written.
The Johnson City Press Archive is an invaluable resource to the Library’s users and to me. It helps me more effectively do my job as a history-focused specialist for the public.
If you’re connected to the Library’s Wi-Fi, access and search the Johnson City Press Archive using the link below.
Search Johnson City Press ArchiveWe are always happy to help with your historical and genealogical research! Call (423) 434-4354 with questions or for more information about the Johnson City Press Archive.
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