History is not just something that happened—it’s something happening right now.
Access to historical records has never mattered more. Libraries, archives, and educators are on the front lines, fighting against efforts to erase, rewrite, or whitewash history. What’s at stake isn’t just the past—it’s the ability of future generations to learn from it, understand it, and ensure the full truth is never lost. These materials in your archives do more than help us remember; they help us learn, question, and grow. They show us how oppression is justified, how movements for justice are built, and how power is wielded—sometimes for progress, sometimes for control. They remind us that history is not just something that happened—it is something that is happening right now.
Spotlight: The Petersburg Public Library (Alaska)
The Petersburg Public Library The Petersburg Public Library digitizes Historic Petersburg newspapers from 1913 – 2021 to give the local community easier access to Petersburg’s history. The Petersburg Public Library offers free access to its extensive collection of historical newspapers and documents through a partnership with Advantage Archives. The archives encompass over 45,317 pages of the Petersburg Pilot (1974-2021), along […]
This Week in History- March 3rd – March 9th
Even if you don’t follow college women’s basketball, you almost certainly know the name Caitlin Clark. The record-breaking player from the University of Iowa quickly made a name for herself in the world of sports, and has since brought thousands of new fans to the WNBA. On March 3, 2024, Clark broke the NCAA Division […]
This Week in History- February 24th – March 2nd
Our first topic is surprisingly similar to something we may see happening again this year. On February 28th, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI resigned as his health would no longer allow him to keep up with the demands of the role. As published in The Quincy Herald-Whig, he announced his decision on February 11th, 2013, noting […]
Spotlight: Moline Public Library (Illinois)
The Moline Public Library The Moline Public Library digitizes Historic Moline newspapers from 1850 to 1993 to give the local community easier access to Moline’s history. The Moline Public Library is located in Moline, Illinois, serving a community of nearly 42,000. Moline is located in Northwest Illinois, in Rock Island County. Advantage Archives takes great […]
This Week in History- February 17th – February 23rd
The Tonight Show is one of the most popular late-night television shows, and on February 17th, 2014, Jimmy Fallon became the new host. After a long television career as a cast member on shows like Saturday Night Live, Fallon took over from Jay Leno as the host of The Tonight Show. Fallon brought a new […]
This Week in History- February 10th through February 16th
A common theme I found in these articles about Valentine’s Day is reflecting on the history of the holiday. For example, I found a page in The Highland News Leader from February 9th, 2004, talking all about saving memories from the past and the history of Valentine’s Day! They visited a special display at the […]
This Week in History- February 3rd through February 9th
As we approach Superbowl Sunday, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at a superbowl that was unlike any before. The 2017 Super Bowl was played on February 5th, 2017 in Houston, Texas. The Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots met up for a memorable game that made NFL history. At […]
This Week in History- January 27 through February 2nd
The UK originally voted to leave the European Union – often referred to as Brexit– back in 2016. However, it wasn’t until January 31st, 2020 that they officially left. Even then, things didn’t instantly change. They had until December 31st, 2020 to agree on how they would continue to operate and interact separately from the […]
This Week in History- January 13 through January 20
The inauguration of President Barack Obama was a historic moment that many Americans had been dreaming of. President Obama was the first president of African American descent, a milestone that made him a role model that it is possible to hold any position, regardless of your race. In The Enterprise, published in Leonardtown, Maryland on […]
This Week in History- January 6th through January 12th
Procrastination is a college student’s best friend and worst enemy. It allows us to ignore the assignments we don’t want to do yet, and then once we can’t put them off any longer, the adrenaline rush of it being due in a couple of hours powers us through the entire thing. The problem of procrastination […]
This Week in History- December 23rd through December 29th
First, let’s get a look at what kids today are asking for. It seems that each year, more and more kids are asking for technology instead of toys. In the Seward County Independent, published in Seward, Nebraska, on December 20th, 2023, they shared letters from local first-grade children to Santa. Among some of the most […]
This Week in History- December 9th through December 15th
Every year, children around the world write their letters to Santa, telling him what they want the most that year. In The Daily Record, published in Lawrenceville, Illinois, on December 21st, 2006, they shared the letter to Santa written by local elementary school students. A common question from many of the children was asking how […]
This Week in History- December 9th through December 15th
Our first gift idea comes from The New Castle Weekly, in New Castle, Delaware, published on December 11th, 2002. They shared a couple of different gift ideas, but the one that stood out the most to me was these chocolate and cappuccino jars. They are a dry mix that can be used to make either […]
This Week in History- November 25 through December 1st
I thought it would be useful to start with a recent piece that gives us a lay of the land of Black Friday shopping. On November 24th, 2015, the Quincy Herald-Whig published an article titled “SCORE BIG SAVINGS; 9 TIPS TO HELP YOU MAXIMIZE YOUR BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING POWER”. This article gives an in-depth list […]
This Week in History- November 18 through November 24
For all these events, I utilized the new directory page on our website. There, you can zoom in on the map to search for Community History Archives in that area. I did this in different areas of the state to find different CHAs to search in. Each archive is listed on the side with the […]
This Week in History- November 11 through November 17
The method I used to find these events is also my search tip of the week. In the past, we have covered a lot of ways to narrow down specific results. Did you know that there is also a way to look at specific papers without having to search for keywords or phrases? It is […]
The Community History Archives: This Week In History November 4th-10th
Barack Obama made history, as do all presidents, but specifically because he was the first African American president. Before he was elected to the presidency, he had a political career in both the state and US Senate. In 1996, Obama was elected to his first term in the Illinois State Senate, where he was re-elected […]
