Archive FAQs

How do I get started?

To begin, try entering some keywords in the Keywords you are searching box and click the Search button on the form.

I am looking for a particular article or topic and I am having trouble finding anything. Can you give me any advice?

The archives contain most, but not all, of the articles published by The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, and cover only the more recent years of publication. These archives are a self-service system. Currently, our staff does not provide a service to help locate articles. If you need to find an article which you believe was published but is not in the database, we may provide additional search service at an hourly rate. Please contact The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram newsroom for details.

Please note some articles such as obituaries, wedding announcements, syndicated columnists, and wire services may not be available for download. We also will not archive stock quotes, sports scores, death notices or classified ads.

If you are having trouble finding just the right search terms to use, or if you are trying to narrow your search to find just the right set of articles, try using our advanced search features.

How do I get the complete text of the article I want?

Just click on the headline link above the listing of the article you want. You’ll then be able to get full text of the article by using your credit card. Please note that photos, charts, and graphics are not included.

How do I set up an account? What are my options?

It only takes a few minutes to set up an account, and you can use it right away. You may use Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover. Your credit card will be charged only for the articles for which you view the full text. There are no set-up charges or minimum fees. Because the information you give us is communicated through a secure connection, you must use a compatible browser such as Netscape 3.0 or higher, or MS Internet Explorer 3.0 or higher. You’ll also have to enable cookies and JavaScript.

How much does it cost?

Searching the archives is free, but you must pay to view the full text of the articles. Pricing for articles is $2.95 per document or as low as $2.00 per document, depending on what type of package you purchase. The charge for viewing an article will not occur until the article has been completely delivered from our server. If you do not receive the complete text of the article you want, you can click on it again.

I had to download an article twice, will I be charged?

You will only be charged once for an article even if you happen to view it more than once, provided the viewings occur within a 24 hour period. If the viewings are more than 24 hours apart, you will be charged again.

I tried to view a complete article and my username and password won’t work. What should I do?

Make sure that you are using the username that you chose when you registered for your account. You should have chosen your own password when you registered, and verified it by typing it twice. Don’t confuse your password with the password hint that you entered; this is not used for viewing articles. When entering your password, make sure your Caps Lock key is not on. Usernames and passwords are case sensitive. Also, make sure you distinguish between the number zero ‘0’ and the upper-case letter ‘O’.

If you are still refused access and have checked the above, please send e-mail to newslibrary@newsbank.com. Include your full name, username, browser type, browser version and a brief description of the problem. Your account information is kept confidential and re-registering will not affect your credit.

You will only be charged once for an article even if you happen to view it more than once, provided the viewings occur within a 24 hour period. If the viewings are more than 24 hours apart, you will be charged again.

I would like to get a hard copy of an article that I purchased. How can I do that? What about reprints?

Click the Printer Friendly link (if available) at the top of the article page then click your browser’s Print button or choose File, Print to print a hard copy of the newspaper article that you have purchased.

You also have the option to save the article as a file on your desktop using the Save or Save As