Newspapers
Newspapers
The National Library holds an extensive collection of local and regional newspapers, both archival and contemporary, to support research and learning needs. Dating from the 19th century to the present day, our archival newspaper collection can be accessed physically via Lee Kong Chian Reference Library’s microfilm collection, or digitally via NewspaperSG and Factiva database. Contemporary news is also available through SPH eNewspapers, Factiva and Press Reader databases.
Newspaper Coverage
With a few exceptions, newspapers published before 1989 can be accessed from home on our NewspaperSG platform. Patrons can access post-1989 newspaper publications through our on-site Library Multimedia Stations and microfilm collection. For newspapers published within the last 7 to 30 days, users can access Factiva or SPH Newspapers from home.
A summary of all our available platforms and access restrictions can be found in the table below. Please refer to the respective links for a detailed step-by-step guide on how to access our newspaper collections.
| Publication Range | Guide Index | Access | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1989 | NewspaperSG | Full remote access* | Viewable from home |
| Microfilm | On-site access only | Lee Kong Chian Reference Library Level 11 only | |
| After 1989 | NewspaperSG | On-site access only | Available at all Library Multimedia Stations (MMS)** |
| Microfilm | On-site access only | Lee Kong Chian Reference Library Level 11 only | |
| Factiva | On-site access only | Available at all Library Multimedia Stations (MMS) | |
| Within the last 30 days | Factiva | Limited remote access | Viewable from home; does not include articles published by SPH |
| Within the last 7 days | SPH Newspapers | Full remote access | Viewable from home |
* Content published by non-SPH third parties (e.g. AFP, Reuters, Singapore Standard) are restricted to our on-site Multimedia Stations (MMS) only.
** Not available at the library@esplanade and library@chinatown Public Libraries.
NewspaperSG
NewspaperSG is an online archive of Singapore newspapers that can be accessed remotely from the convenience of your home or workplace. You can search our digital archive of newspapers published since 1827 or find information on over 200 newspaper titles in the National Library’s microfilm collection. More than 220,000 newspaper issues have been digitised. The highlights of our collection include historical newspapers like The Singapore Chronicle, The Singapore Free Press, as well as non-English titles like the Nanyang Siang Pau, Berita Harian and Tamil Murasu.
Newspapers owned by the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), such as the Straits Times and Business Times are available off-site via NewspaperSG up until the year 1989. Content published after 1989 and content published by third-parties (e.g. AFP, Reuters) are only accessible from our on-site Multimedia Stations (MMS) at our libraries (except for the Esplanade and Chinatown Public Libraries).
Navigating NewspaperSG
To search for newspapers on NewspaperSG, you can perform a keyword search using the search bar provided.
In this example, let’s search for articles that relate to the Malay Regiment. As this has retrieved 14,812 results, we want to further narrow our search results.
On the left side of your browser, you can choose to filter and sort your results by Newspaper Title, Year, Content Type and even Word Count. You can also filter out articles that are not viewable from home.
Sort your search results from the drop-down menu below the search bar - the most useful being Best Match (relevance), Newest (descending), Oldest (ascending).
Article Restrictions
Articles that are not viewable from home will have Not Viewable from home below the article title.
These newspapers can only be accessed via our libraries’ Multimedia Stations (MMS) or by accessing their respective microfilms on Level 11 of the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library. The microfilm reel number is also conveniently located below the article title.
More information on microfilms can be found in the Newspapers on Microfilm section of this guide.
Reading Articles on NewspaperSG
To read an article, click on the article title. Doing so will direct you to the article viewing page. If you got here by keyword search, your keywords will be highlighted in yellow.
On the right column of your browser, click the section highlighted in red to view the entire page which the article appears in. In this case - page 2 of the Morning Tribune 31 March 1941. Click on Hide Article Zone to remove the article borders.
Browsing by Newspaper on NewspaperSG
To browse newspaper issues by date or title, click on the Browse Newspaper tab on the NewspaperSG search bar. You do not need to be on the homepage to access this feature.
Clicking on the tab, the webpage will prompt you to choose between browsing by Newspaper Titles and Date.
Browsing by newspaper titles is simple and straight forward. From the dropdown menu, select the newspaper title you would like to read. Information on the relevant newspaper title and the copies currently held or digitised by the National Library will be displayed here.
The bottom half of the page includes a slider which allows you to change the year of publication. The calendar below shows all available issues of that newspaper title. Click on any date to retrieve the relevant newspaper issue.
Printing Newspapers from NewspaperSG
You can get an un-watermarked copy of the newspaper article from the multimedia stations at selected NLB libraries. Prints are charged at $0.20 per A4 page. Please collect your prints from the Print Console located at the Photocopying Room or next to the multimedia stations.
Newspapers on Microfilm
If you are based overseas and would like the article reproductions to be sent to you, you can place a document delivery request with us here. Our document delivery team will contact you within 3 working days to liaise further on the details of your request. Please note that all reprographic prints are supplied strictly for reference and research purposes only.
The Lee Kong Chian Reference Library (LKRCL) has about 30,000 microfilm reels in its collection, containing the surrogates of rare and out of print books as well as newspapers archives. The microfilm catalogue is accessible from NewspaperSG page, under the header.
You can simply key in the newspaper title and date in the search bar to narrow down to the reel number.
You may also click directly on the Microfilm Reel corresponding to each newspaper article.
Our microfilm reel numbers are denoted by the prefix NL or A. The reel numbers for newspapers on microfilm can be retrieved from NewspaperSG.
NL microfilms are located in the microfilm cabinets near the Level 11 Counter. Users can retrieve the microfilm reels themselves if they are already familiar with the service.
Once you have retrieved your microfilm reels, please proceed to the Level 11 counter to fill up a microfilm request form. Our staff will verify the information on the form and assign you a microfilm reader at the Microfilm Room.
Note that you can only use 8 microfilm reels at any one time. When finished, please switch off the reader and return the reels to the counter.
Printing Newspapers on Microfilm
If you need to print a section from our microfilms, there is a self-service microfilm printing service is available at the Microform Room. However, note that we only offer greyscale printing (black & white).
You can pay using your Credit/Debit Card or PayPal via Microfilm Station. Alternatively, you can pay by NETS, CashCard, Ez-Link or QR code at the Print Release Station in the Photocopy room, also located on Level 11. Fees can be found in the table below.
| Page size | Fee |
|---|---|
| A3 | S$0.90 per page |
| A4 | S$0.35 per page |
Factiva
The National Library Board subscribes to the Factiva news and information database. Produced by Dow Jones, Factiva contains 33,000 premium sources in up to 28 languages that include licensed publications, influential websites, trade magazines and international/regional newspapers from around the world.
As a library user, you can access Factiva through the National Library’s e-Resource page using your digital library ID. You may choose to either use our libraries’ Multimedia Stations (MMS) at NLB libraries or access it remotely via your internet devices. However, note that the latter option is limited to 30 days archive access. In addition, SPH newspapers will not be available if Factiva is accessed remotely.
Finally, articles recovered from Factiva are text-based and will not have the illustrations or photographs of the originals . This guide will focus on retrieving local newspapers from Factiva.
Navigating Factiva from Library MMS
Step 1: On the e-Resources homepage under the Quick Links tab, click By A-Z. This will arrange all of NLB’s e-databases in alphabetical order. There will be two entries for Factiva. Please select the first option, with the text **‘Available at all libraries. With unlimited archive access.’ **
Step 2: You will be redirected to the Factiva homepage. On the top of the webpage, click Search to initiate the Search Builder. This is not to be confused with the search bar on the main page.
This should direct you to the Search Builder. Simply enter your keywords and remember to adjust the date range. Note that the oldest SPH articles available on this database will only go back to 1989.
As an example, the search term ‘SARS’ is used and the date range is set to ‘all dates’.
To limit your search to headlines from SPH Newspapers, you need to further narrow your search by Source. SPH newspapers available include The Straits Times and non-English titles like Berita Harian and Lianhe Zaobao.
Here, the search is limited to articles from The Straits Times.
Step 3: On the Search Results page, you can use the dropdown menu on the left to arrange your results in chronological order by selecting Sort by: Oldest first, or vice versa. From here, simply click on the relevant headline to read the article.
Articles recovered from Factiva are text-only and will not have the relevant illustrations or graphics of the originals. Users are advised to use either NewspaperSG or SPH Newspapers to see the articles in their full broadsheet layout.
SPH eNewspapers
SPH eNewspapers is a collection of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) eNewspapers - including The Straits Times, The Business Times, The New Paper, Lianhe Zaobao, Lianhe Wanbao, Shin Min Daily News, Berita Harian and Tamil Murasu.
This database is free for all NLB digital library members and can be accessed from home. Depending on the newspapers, access to previous issues varies from 7 to 13 days.
Navigating SPH eNewspapers
Click here to be directed to the SPH Newspapers homepage. Simply click on your newspaper of choice to begin reading.
Accessing previous issues on SPH eNewspapers
To access older issues, click on the calendar icon on the top left corner of the reader. All available past issues of the title will then be presented for you to choose from.
PressReader
PressReader is an international digital newsstand that lets you read over 7,000 of the world’s leading newspapers and magazines from more than 100 countries. These include international newspapers such as The Washington Post, The Guardian, Bloomberg Businessweek (Asia), and local publications such as Female, Women’s Weekly, Singapore Tatler. Publications are presented as full digital replicas and offer advanced digital features such as keyword searching, translation, audio functionality and more.
Accessing PressReader
To gain access to PressReader, NLB digital library users can use the NLB Mobile app on mobile devices or from computers or laptops.
If you want to read SPH newspapers, you have to access PressReader at our libraries’ on-site Multimedia Stations (MMS) or when connected to NLB’s Wireless@SGx networks.
On the Publications page, you have the option of filtering publications by country, language and publication type. However, please note that access to past issues varies for both international and local newspapers.