The Prince Rupert Public Library holds two unique collections that cannot be borrowed or found anywhere else: Newspaper Archives on Microfilm documenting over a century of local journalism, and the Northwest History Collection, a curated reference library focused on the history of the Pacific Northwest Coast and its First Nations peoples. Both collections are available for in-library research only.
Newspaper Archives on Microfilm
The library holds microfilm of all issues of the Prince Rupert Daily News ever printed, along with several other local and regional newspaper titles. A microfilm/microfiche reader/printer is available in the library for in-house use at no charge.
The library partnered with West Canadian Digital Imaging and MicroCom Systems — funded by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre's BC History Digitization Program — to scan these same microfilm masters and make decades of the Daily News freely searchable online. The physical microfilm collection and the digital archive cover the same material in two different formats.
Prince Rupert Daily News (1909–2010)
The library holds the complete run — every issue ever printed — of Prince Rupert's main daily newspaper.
The paper began as a weekly called The Optimist on July 1, 1909, shifting to daily publication by September 1910. It was renamed the Prince Rupert Daily News on May 1, 1911. Over its 101-year history it also appeared at various times under the names Evening Empire and Prince Rupert Optimist. It was finally closed on July 16, 2010, when Black Press acquired and shuttered it.
The Evening Empire / The Empire
A separate Prince Rupert newspaper that ran concurrently with the Daily News for several decades. The City & Regional Archives holds bound volumes of The Empire from May 1910 through December 1946, when the Daily News acquired it.
Ask library staff for details on which microfilm holdings are available for this title.
Other Titles
The library also holds microfilm of several other regional and local newspaper titles. Ask at the circulation desk for the full list of available titles and their date ranges.
Northwest History Collection
The Northwest History Collection is a curated, non-circulating reference library dedicated to the history of the Pacific Northwest Coast — with a particular focus on local First Nations groups, regional settlements, industries, and culture. The collection includes many titles that are rare or out of print and cannot be found elsewhere in Prince Rupert.
What's in the Collection
- Books on the history of the Pacific Northwest Coast
- Books on local and regional First Nations peoples and cultures
- Rare and out-of-print titles unavailable elsewhere
- Regional histories, biographies, and reference works
- New titles added regularly — check New Arrivals under the Northwest History Collection – Non-Circulating location
Access Rules
- Photo ID required — held at the desk during your visit
- All materials are non-circulating — in-library use only
- No food or drink in the collection room
- Photographs and photocopies of materials are permitted for personal research
- Ask staff if you need help locating specific titles or subjects
Suggest a Title
The Northwest History Collection is actively growing. If you know of a book, pamphlet, or publication that belongs in the collection, speak with a librarian — we welcome suggestions from the community.
New acquisitions appear in the library's New Arrivals list under Northwest History Collection – Non-Circulating and Storage – Northwest History Collection.