Thursday, October 1, 2026
Library patrons once had to rely on microfilm to search past editions of the Oceanside/Island Park Herald, threading reels into bulky readers and scanning pages by hand to find specific articles.
That process has been replaced by a searchable digital archive.
The Herald is now available through the New York State Historic Newspapers website, allowing users to search by keyword and instantly retrieve relevant articles. The year-long project was led by Oceanside local history librarian Erin McCauley and Island Park’s adult reference librarian Sara Geller, who collaborated to bring the publication online.
“I get a lot of patrons who are interested in the history of their home or their property,” McCauley said. “Instead of me doing the actual research, they could do it themselves. They can feel really confident in researching on their own.”
The Island Park Public Library has long preserved the Herald on microfilm, updating the archive annually. After receiving funding from the Francis and Gertrude Levett Foundation — which supports initiatives in education, medical research and community well-being — the Oceanside Library partnered with Island Park to digitize the collection.
An earlier effort added the Oceanside Beacon to the state’s historic newspapers database in 2023. That archive includes issues through Dec. 1984, when the paper ceased publication before being absorbed by Richner Communications. The latest project fills a gap by digitizing the Herald issues from 1989 through 2023.
“I try to fill the voids where, if people are looking for something, where better than our local newspaper to find it,” McCauley said.
The digitization work was completed by Advantage Archives, an Iowa-based vendor that also handled the Beacon project.
McCauley, who is also pursuing a career in archival work, said the project reflects her broader interest in local history.
“I do wonder about what used to be here and what the people were like and what their lives were like,” she said. “I just find it very interesting to try to imagine what life was like back in different times.”
The Oceanside/Island Park Herald, a weekly publication and the community’s only current local newspaper, now has over 1,500 issues available online. The broader New York State Historic Newspapers collection includes more than 1.5 million issues and 15.5 million pages dating back to 1725.
McCauley said some of the most compelling content comes from stories about long-standing local businesses, including Chwatsky’s one of Oceanside’s first prominent Jewish-owned businesses; Levin’s pharmacy, operating since 1922; Dee’s Florist, open since 1958; Pasetti’s, a catering business; and Cedarhurst Paper, a supplier of paper goods and party materials.
“It’s not big news, it’s small and local about everyday life,” McCauley said. “As the local history librarian, it’s important to me that we preserve these newspapers and make them easily available to everyone.”
