NewsBank is a database available through Staley Library. It provides access to over 6,000 news sources, some of which go back to the 1980s. It includes newspapers (including college newspapers), newswires, transcripts from news programs, news magazines, and some video. It has local content (including the Decatur Herald & Review) and national and international sources. NewsBank is an excellent place to go for up-to-date information on current events topics.
Access NewsBank through the Database List on our website under "General / Multidisciplinary" (look for Access World News/America's News) or through the A-Z Database listing on our guides.
There are several ways to get started using NewsBank.
1. Search - Because there are so many articles in NewsBank it is best to use multiple keywords so that you can narrow your search. For example, if you are interested in the technology that is being used in high schools you could search for "high school" technology classroom.
2. Browse for a topic - Below the search box are numerous suggested topics grouped by broad categories like "education," "people," and "social issues." Click on a topic to expose more specific topics grouped by category. Click on any of the links to see pre-constructed searches on that topic.
3. Special Reports - Use the special reports link in the Quick Links section of the homepage to see collections of articles on topics of current interest. After clicking on a category you will be able to select more specific topics and link to individual, usually very current articles on the topic.
4. Quick Links - Under the Quick Links you can also find links to search specifically in the Herald & Review (Decatur's newspaper), the Peoria Journal Star, the State Journal-Register (Springfield), all Illinois sources, and a few other collections.
After conducting your search, use the search limits on the left side of the page to narrow your results. Using the Date selector, the Source type, and the Source location limits will be particularly helpful.
After clicking on an article, use the toolbar at the top of the page to:
