2Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Burlington Public Library
Burlington, Massachusetts
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Burlington.
1961 to 1992Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
71,828Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Burlington, Massachusetts.
Get to know Burlington, Massachusetts in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Burlington Public Library's digital archive. The archive includes Burlington Times Union and The Burlington News, with material from 1961 to 1992.
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Selected titles
Burlington Public Library shares titles including “Burlington Times Union” and “The Burlington News”.
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Free and open access
No subscription or payment required.
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A closer look
A familiar name or event takes on another dimension in the newspaper coverage of its time, alongside the stories that mattered to the readers of that issue.
Historical newspapers can connect a family name with the events and everyday concerns of an earlier time, offering more than a date or a name on its own. Bring a family connection, a question about a familiar place or an interest in local history, and see where the sources lead. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.
Explore the collection
Titles in this collection
Explore Burlington Times Union and The Burlington News through 71,828 digitized pages, with material from 1961 to 1992. A partnership between Burlington Public Library and Advantage Archives makes this collection available. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
A familiar name or place can be the beginning of a story. Explore the titles below to see where that connection leads.
Burlington Times Union
35,890 pages from 1963 to 1988
The Burlington News
35,938 pages from 1961 to 1992
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About the Archive
About the Burlington Public Library’s Digital Archives
The Burlington Public Library offers free and open access to its digitized collection of historical yearbooks, annual reports, and select local documents, providing an important educational resource for researchers, genealogists, and community members exploring Burlington’s collective history. In partnership with Advantage Archives , the library supports a shared responsibility to preserve firsthand accounts and local perspective—bringing “history as it happened” into public view. The library also connects users to Massachusetts-wide platforms like Internet Archive for expanded primary source access.
Partner Story
Yearbooks & Annual Reports
- Burlington High School Yearbooks (selected years; digitized via Internet Archive)
- Town Annual Reports (selected editions; digitized via Internet Archive)
These digitized items serve as a portal to the community’s past—capturing the people, places, and events that have shaped Burlington’s history. As cultural assets, they offer practical online access to local primary source documents.
About the Library
About the Burlington Public Library
Located at 22 Sears Street in Burlington, Massachusetts, the Burlington Public Library serves a vibrant community hub that promotes lifelong learning, connection, and exploratory access to historical content. Founded in 1816 as a “social library,” it has since evolved into a modern facility offering public computers, Wi‑Fi, digital media access, and extensive programming for all ages.
Library History
The History of the Burlington Public Library
Burlington’s first library began in 1816 as a subscription model with 22 proprietors. After closing in 1842, a public library emerged in the mid-20th century with a purpose-built home opening in 1968. That building was renovated in the mid-1990s to add technology infrastructure and community spaces—continuing the library’s evolving role in preserving and sharing community history.
About the Community
About Burlington, Massachusetts
Burlington, in Middlesex County, is a town rich in history and modern vibrancy. Incorporated in 1799, it is home to tens of thousands of residents who benefit from its historical preservation, strong educational institutions, and access to regional culture. Burlington remains anchored by institutions like the Public Library, which foster educational access and community engagement.
Local History
Did You Know?
The library’s digital archive includes selected editions of high school yearbooks and town annual reports, offering a unique “first rough draft of history” as told through student portraits, local governance reports, and community snapshots. These documents illustrate Burlington’s evolving identity—accessible free and open to all. Explore these valuable collections and more by visiting the Digital Archives: Visit the Burlington Public Library Digital Archives .
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Follow a story beyond the first mention
Start with something you would like to understand about the past of Burlington. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Burlington Public Library to follow that question into the historical record. When using historical newspapers, try alternate spellings and nearby dates, then read the surrounding page to place a local story in its time. Compare later reporting or another available title to explore different perspectives rather than treating one account as the whole story.
When a promising newspaper lead runs out, check the dates and titles represented before trying another name, place, or nearby issue. Keep unsuccessful searches with useful findings; gaps in coverage can limit what a search reveals. Use the dates and references to shape your next question, not as proof a missing result never existed.
As you piece together a story from the past, note where each detail came from and why it matters. Include the title, date, and page or item reference. Mark uncertain identifications and unanswered questions so a promising connection does not become an unsupported fact.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Burlington Public Library, its community, and Advantage Archives. Together, these partnerships preserve local sources and give people a way to explore, learn from, and share the history around them.
Advantage Archives covers ongoing archive hosting, storage, development, and maintenance. The institution and its community do not pay a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or other recurring archive-service charge. Local history remains a community resource, not a subscription to maintain.
Would you like to see more of your community's history preserved and accessible? Start a conversation with your library, newspaper publisher, historical or genealogical society, museum, or school about the materials they would like to share and a possible partnership with Advantage Archives.
Learn about partnerships
Stories, research tips, and archive news
Read All About It connects archive research with the people and institutions preserving local history. Explore partner and community stories, project updates, research ideas, and perspectives on digitization, education, and working with primary sources. Use the articles as a starting point for your next question or a new way to share a discovery.
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Unveiling the Hidden Mysteries: Exploring Cold Cases and Unconventional Clues
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This Week in History: March 24th through March 30th
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March 18, 2025
It’s Your Community’s History, So Why Rent Something You Own?
We believe that history belongs to the communities where it was made - not locked behind paywalls or inaccessible due to budget restrictions. Subscription-based services and large content aggregators are generally more concerned with "content" and less concerned with the history that content contains. Their models typically involve a reoccurring charge for a plan that renews annually or licensing agreements with the library based on population served or circulation numbers. You are essentially Renting Access To YOUR History.
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