When to use a print index

If you want to search for articles published before the 1980s, you may need to turn to a print index. For example, Ned Bishop consulted the New York Times Index to locate newspaper articles written in April 1864, just after the battle at Fort Pillow.

To find older magazine articles, consult the Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature or Poole’s Index to Periodical Literature or ask a librarian for help.