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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Somerville Public Library

Somerville, Massachusetts

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

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3Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1870 to 1996Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

88,416Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Somerville, Massachusetts.

Discover another side of Somerville, Massachusetts through newspapers preserved in the Somerville Public Library's digital archive. Its three titles include material from 1870 to 1996.

You can open the archive using the link below.
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  • Selected titles

    In the collection shared by Somerville Public Library, you will find “Somerville Citizen” and “Somerville Community News”.

  • 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.

The reporting of earlier years offers a way to explore how events were understood as they happened and how local experiences became part of the historical record. A family story, a classroom project or curiosity about a familiar place can lead to a closer look at the community and the lives of earlier generations. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Browse three titles and 88,416 digitized pages, with material from 1870 to 1996. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Somerville Public Library shares these sources from the past. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.

If you are tracing a family connection or exploring local history, the titles below offer a place to begin and a thread to follow.

Somerville Citizen

826 pages in 1895

Somerville Community News

2,450 pages from 1977 to 1996

Somerville Journal

85,140 pages from 1870 to 1945

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About the Archive

About The Somerville Public Library’s History Archives

Explore the Somerville Public Library ’s extensive collection of historical newspapers and local history resources, available for free access through our partnership with Advantage Archives . Our archive contains thousands of pages, spanning from 1870 to 1996. This digitization project has been made possible through generous donations and community support, ensuring that our local history is preserved and accessible to all.

Somerville Public Library photo 1

About the Library

About The Somerville Public Library

The Somerville Public Library enhances the Somerville experience by acting as a trusted community connector, providing cultural and learning opportunities to all. Approved by the Somerville Public Library Board of Trustees on October 16, 2019, the library serves as a vital resource in Somerville, Massachusetts. The library offers a wide range of services and resources, including a vast collection of books, periodicals, digital media, and educational programs. The library is dedicated to fostering community engagement and providing a welcoming space for all residents.

Library History

The History Of The Somerville Public Library

Founded over a century ago, the Somerville Public Library has a rich history of serving the community. Over the years, the library has expanded its collections and services to meet the evolving needs of Somerville's residents. Today, it continues to uphold its mission of promoting literacy, lifelong learning, and community engagement.

About the Community

About Somerville, Massachusetts

Somerville, Massachusetts, is a vibrant city located just northwest of Boston. Known for its diverse population and rich cultural heritage, Somerville has a long history of innovation and community spirit. The city is home to numerous historical landmarks, thriving arts scenes, and a variety of community events that celebrate its unique character.

Local History

Did You Know?

Did you know that the Somerville Community News was a progressive independent newspaper published from 1977 to 1996? It was part of a movement of independent newspapers that emerged in the Boston area during the 1970s. This publication played a significant role in documenting the local history and community events of Somerville.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Look for the story behind a result

The history of Somerville includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the Somerville Public Library, begin with a name, place or date connected with the story you want to explore. 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. Search a person, place, or event with a second term, then compare the date and context of each result. A repeated name needs more evidence before it identifies the same person or connects two parts of a story.

After recording the issue and page, search a second term tied to the result and compare the surrounding dates and accounts. Keep matching names provisional until the place and context fit. This can turn one result into a better question without turning a repeated name into a confirmed story.

Capture the title, date, and page or item location for a detail you may want to revisit. Label your interpretation as your reading, not the source's own words. Keep enough context with the note that another reader can retrace it.

Review collection titles

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Somerville 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.
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