Attention genealogists, history buffs and students. The New Westminster Public Library now has two microfilm machines which can digitally enlarge, enhance and scan pages.
The library has an excellent collection of old newspapers on microfilm, such as the Daily Columbian and the Mainland Guardian, which cover early events in New Westminster. Are you looking for coverage of events the year your grandma was May Queen? Curious about the boats that plied the Fraser in the early days of its settlement?
Old newspapers open a window on the past and provide a fascinating glimpse of families and communities in days gone by. We have microfilmed newspapers from 1861 onwards.
It may sound macabre, but old obituaries are a source of great information for people learning about their family history. Obituaries often tell you what the person did for a living, their dates of birth and death, where they are buried, and the names of other family members who predeceased or survived them. The New Westminster Public Library's index to the weekly death notices (only available in the library) can help you pinpoint a date where you can begin your search.
New Westminster has always been a hub of theatre and music, and the local papers reviewed all kinds of performances. If your family had a store or business here, you can check the newspapers for advertisements.
The river, with its regular floods, ice-jams and boating accidents, is thoroughly covered in the papers. And of course the great fire of 1898 - as well as numerous other tragic fires in New Westminster's history - can be researched using the newspapers.
With the library's new microfilm scanners, using these newspapers is no longer a chore.
On-screen viewing can be optimized, and you can scan and save a page for printing or reading later.
Come into the library any time it's open and ask staff to show you how to use the new machines. Your family, historical or school research just got a lot simpler.
