Fall River Public Library Additional Reference Resources

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Fall River Herald News
Obituary Index

The Fall River Public Library is in the process of indexing obituaries that appeared in the Fall River Herald News. At present, we have indexing available for some years of the 1950s through the 2000s. This project is still a work in progress, but we will try to make more index files available as they are completed.

To search the obituary index, you will need to download an Excel file. The index will display in database format, sorted by last name, first name and the date the obituary appeared in the paper. The maiden name, if given, and name of the deceased person's spouse, if any, will also be listed. No other data is listed in the index. To see the full obituary, which may include burial information and names of relatives, you will need to come to the library and read the newspaper on microfilm. A microfilm printer is available.

Obituary Requests

If you cannot come to the library, you can request a copy of an obituary. For a charge of $2 per page , we can find, print and mail an obituary to you. Requests should be addressed to: Fall River Public Library, Attn: Reference Department, 104 North Main Street, Fall River, MA 02720. Please include a check or money order, your name and mailing address, and the name and date of death of the person whose obituary you are requesting. You may request up to three obituaries at one time. You may also send preliminary requests or other questions by email. If we find an obituary, you will still be asked to mail payment. Unfortunately, we cannot process payments online at this time.

It is not possible for us to find obituaries without a date of death. If unknown, this can sometimes be obtained from the cemetery or from vital records. For more help tracing your family tree, visit our Genealogy Page.

Resources for Research

 If you live in Massachusetts and have a SAILS library card, you can access public library resources 24/7 from your home or school computer. A quick link to the SAILS library catalog is available here and on the Fall River Public Library home page. From the main library page, you can access newspapers, magazines and electronic reference books online through the Online Resources page. We also offer Newsbank, with access to the Fall River Herald News, Cape Cod Times and Springfield Republican. Both collections are updated regularly and feature a wide variety of full-text magazine articles. You will need a library card to access these resources from home.

If you are doing more extensive research, you may need to go beyond what is available in these collections. The Boston Public Library has one of the state's largest collections of electronic resources, and as a Massachusetts resident, you are entitled to use their collection. You will need to apply for a special Boston Public Library e-card, which you can do online. This process is free and takes less than a minute. You will gain instant access to information sources in art and literature, business, law, health and medicine, science, foreign language materials  and many more subject areas. Many of these resources, such as the journal article database JSTOR, are available in full text. If you need an article that is not available in full text, we may be able to order a copy of it for you through interlibrary loan, either in hard copy or electronically. Ask a reference librarian for assistance.

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 © by the Fall River Public Library. Last updated January 9, 2012