Dear Benny,
I wanted to look up some information in newspaper archives, but can’t access everything I need on different publication websites. My colleague told me that the Penn Libraries can help me out with information. Is this true? If so, how do I search the archives of the Inquirer and New York Times?
--Looking to the past

Dear Fact-finder:
Yes, the Penn Libraries offers numerous resources to help you with your search. Try getting started with PressReader, available directly through the library. Use Franklin, the library’s catalog, to search for PressReader. This will allow you to read today’s Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, Washington Post, Boston Herald, and others. It also contains magazines, like Newsweek, Popular Science, Fast Company, and more.

Another database, Factiva, covers current issues of newspapers like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and more. Search for Factiva in the Franklin catalog to connect. The News Pages section will show you today’s article’s published in major newspapers around the globe, or use the Search Builder tab to navigate within the 30,000 publications included in this database subscription.

You may want to chat with a librarian to get you started with these resources, or to find other services available to you. Submit your question via http://faq.library.upenn.edu/ask and a librarian will be in touch soon, either with answers you need or to direct you to other relevant information.

One thing to note: E-resources are limited to students, faculty, and staff, and to computers on campus or those that use the Library Proxy server. For more information on proper use, contact the Electronic Acquisitions Department at elecacqu@pobox.upenn.edu.

Got a question for Benny? Send it via email to current@pobox.upenn.edu or through a direct Twitter message via @PennCurrent. Follow @PennCurrent on Twitter, if you please.