Skip to content
Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Howells Public Library

Howells, Nebraska

Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Howells.

Explore the Archive Institution Website
2Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1892 to 2024Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

108,966Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Howells, Nebraska.

Explore the past of Howells, Nebraska through newspapers in the Howells Public Library's digital archive. The archive includes Howells Journal and The Howells Journal, with material from 1892 to 2024.

You can open the archive using the link below.
Partner image, not an archive preview
 Explore the Archive

Opens in a new tab.

  • Selected titles

    The titles shared by Howells Public Library include “Howells Journal” and “The Howells Journal”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • A closer look

    An earlier generation comes into view through the stories its newspapers chose to report, placing familiar names and events within the concerns of their time.

Reporting from the time can reveal how people described the events, work and concerns of their day, placing a local story within the history unfolding around it. Whether you are tracing a family connection, exploring a local event or sharing history with a class, there is more to discover than names and dates alone. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Explore Howells Journal and The Howells Journal through 108,966 digitized pages, with material from 1892 to 2024. This collection is shared through Howells Public Library's partnership with Advantage Archives. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.

Every search for the past starts with a question. Explore the titles below, follow the sources that speak to it, and see what new detail appears.

Howells Journal

43,784 pages from 1981 to 2024

The Howells Journal

65,182 pages from 1892 to 2013

Explore the Archive (opens in a new tab)

Opens in a new tab.

About the Archive

About The Howells Public Library’s History Archives

The Howells Public Library offers free access to its historical newspaper collection through a partnership with Advantage Archives . This digital archive provides an essential resource for exploring the history of Howells, Nebraska, with access to local newspaper archives that offer a rich insight into the area’s past. The collection is an invaluable tool for researchers, genealogists, and community members.

Howells Public Library photo 1

About the Library

About The Howells Public Library

The Howells Public Library is dedicated to providing resources and services that meet the informational, cultural, recreational, and educational needs of the Howells community. The library houses a collection of 9,200 items, with an average of 450 checkouts each month. The library offers free Wi-Fi, eight public-use computers, four tablets, a projector, and a large screen. Equipment such as a microfilm reader/printer with the Howells Journal archives, laminators, a colored copier, and a FAX machine are also available to the public. In addition to physical resources, the library offers access to Overdrive for eBooks and audiobooks, and maintains a large DVD collection. The library provides a welcoming atmosphere for patrons, with regular programs such as the summer reading program for children from pre-k through 6th grade. The library also displays school art and community collections in its public display areas.

Library History

The History Of The Howells Public Library

Serving the community of Howells, Nebraska, the Howells Public Library has become a cornerstone of local culture and education. Over the years, the library has expanded its services to meet the evolving needs of the community, offering both traditional and digital resources. As a member of the Colfax County Library Association, the Howells Public Library stays connected with other regional libraries, ensuring that it remains a relevant and valuable resource for its patrons.

About the Community

About Howells, Nebraska

Howells, a small town in Colfax County, Nebraska, has a rich agricultural history and a strong sense of community. The Howells Public Library plays an important role in preserving the town’s history and providing access to information and educational resources. With its extensive newspaper archives and community programs, the library continues to be a vital part of Howells’ cultural and historical landscape.

Local History

Did You Know?

Did you know that the Howells Public Library’s newspaper collection includes titles dating back to 1902? These newspapers provide an essential glimpse into Howells' history, chronicling local events and everyday life in this Nebraska town.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Keep publication context with a finding

A family name, a familiar street or a story passed down through generations can lead to a closer look at the history of Howells. The digital archive shared by the Howells Public Library offers a place to begin. 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. Note the newspaper title, issue date, and page for a useful report. Compare another account where available, and keep differences in timing or perspective visible rather than blending them into a single version.

Save the newspaper title, issue date, and page, then compare another dated account where available. Keep differences in timing and perspective visible so the source context is not lost. If the accounts disagree, record what each source supports and use the difference to shape a further search rather than smoothing them into one version.

A research trail is most useful when it leaves room for what is not yet known. Record the title, date, and page or item reference where available, along with what remains uncertain and which question you want to follow next. Those details help keep a possible connection from becoming an unsupported conclusion.

Review collection titles

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Howells 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
Read All About It

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.

Newest published articles

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.
Read article
Back to top