New Acquisitions and Finding Aids at Local Studies

Recently Acquired Sources

One of the roles of Doncaster Local Studies Library is to acquire books and original documents, whether by gift, deposit, purchase, or transfer. Our intention is to promote the items that have been recently acquired by the Local Studies Library on this page and to give a short description of their scope and content.

Doncaster Local Studies Library also aims to make these new items and existing material accessible by means of cataloguing, indexing, microfilming and digitising. Items become available for use once this preparatory work has been completed. Details of both newly acquired items and newly created finding aids are given below.

Doncaster Free Press, Doncaster Star and South Yorkshire Times

The Local Studies Library has recently received microfilmed copies of the following newspapers.

• Doncaster Free Press for all of 2004. Although the Free Press was first produced on 18 June 1925 the Local Studies Library does not have a full run of this newspaper. We have a microfilm of the issues covering from the first issue in 1925 up to December 1928. Unfortunately, no copies are available between the years 1929 and 1966. 1967-2004 are available on microfilm and 2005 to date are available in original paper format at the Reference Library desk.

• Doncaster Star for all of 2009 have now been microfilmed. This means that Doncaster Stars covering May 1983 - Dec 2009 are available on microfilm. From January 2010 copies are available in original paper format at the Reference Library desk.

• South Yorkshire Times up to August 2008 have now been microfilmed and added to the collection. The South Yorkshire Times started publication as the Mexborough and Swinton Times in July 1877 and the collection, held in microfilm format, at the Local Studies Library now covers July 1877- August 2008. Copies from September 2008 to date are available in original paper format at the Reference Library desk.

Newspapers are a valuable information source. They give a snapshot of local life at a specific time; they can be used to investigate major events such as Britain's first aviation meeting held at Doncaster racecourse in October 1909 or the Cadeby Colliery disaster of July 1912. On a more personal level they can provide information about births, marriages and deaths and in the case of suspicious deaths the coroner's inquests are often reported.

To view the microfilm and microfiche, a microform viewer needs to be booked. This can be done by contacting the Local Studies staff on 01302 734307.