Newspapers and Clippings

This collection includes clipping files, scrapbooks and microfilm of area newspapers.

About the Collection

San Jose Mercury News

The San Jose Mercury News varied in titles over the years. It began as the Weekly Visitor, changed to the Daily Mercury, Times Mercury, San Jose Daily Mercury, San Jose Mercury Herald, then merged with the Evening News to become the San Jose Mercury, which in turn became the San Jose Mercury News.

For more information about the Mercury News and its antecedents, please refer to: Historical Directory of Santa Clara County Newspapers- 1850-1972, by Jean French Wheeler, available in the California Room under REF CAL 016.0719 Wheeler

Digitized Newspapers

Digitized San Jose Newspapers from 1861-1922 can be found in the California Digital Newspaper Collection.

The San Jose Mercury News from 1900-1985 is accessible to San Jose Public Library card holders via Newsbank.

The San Jose Mercury News from 1985 to present is accessible to San Jose Public Library card holders via NewsBank.

The complete run of El Excentrico, a local English/Spanish magazine published from 1949-1981, is available via our Internet Archive page.

Additional historical newspapers from outside Santa Clara are accessible to San Jose Public Library card holders via Newspapers.com.

Additional historical newspapers from Santa Clara county can be found in print and on microfilm at the California State Library.

Newspapers on Microfilm in the California Room

  • California Star (1847 - 1848)
  • Santa Clara Register (1853 - 1853)
  • San Jose Daily Mercury (1861 - 1899)
  • San Jose Weekly Mercury (1864 - 1881)
  • Daily Argus (1876 - 1877)
  • San Jose Daily Herald (1876 - 1900)
  • Daily Morning Times (1879 - 1884)
  • Daily City Item (1884 - 1885)
  • San Jose News Evening Edition (1887 - 1947)
  • San Jose Mercury Herald (1900 - 1985)
  • Morning Times (1906 - 1909)
  • San Jose News (1973 - 1983)

SJSU holds additional area newspapers on microfilm, located on the basement level of the King Library.

Clipping files

Microfiche

When looking for information on a particular subject prior to 1985, the San José Mercury News (1920-1979) clipping collection is available on microfiche in the California Room.

Print

The California Room also holds a physical collection of clippings, updated through the late 2000s. Clipping files are searchable in the California Room Index.