Soviet newspapers: UNC does not have what I need. Help!

It is important to assess whether you can get access to the newspaper you need in a timely and cost-effective manner, so that you can plan your project, or determine whether your project is even feasible.

Can you get what you need through interlibrary loan?

• If your need is for specific articles or sections of the newspaper, can you get reproductions through interlibrary loan? (You will need citations.)
• If your need is to browse sets of issues, can you get the needed spans of weeks/months/years through interlibrary loan and for how long?

You can begin this assessment work yourself:

• Check WorldCat. Is your newspaper held anywhere in the U.S.? How widely is it held, what years are held, and in what format? Libraries will typically lend microform and bound volumes, though print newspapers may be too fragile to lend. UNC is a member of the Center for Research Libraries (their holdings are in WorldCat) and benefits from their extended lending terms.
• Unfortunately, not everything held by U.S. libraries is listed in WorldCat. Crucially, perhaps the most extensive collection of Soviet-era newspapers, that of the Library of Congress, will not be found in WorldCat and must be explored via LC's research guide:  Russian Newspapers at the Library of Congress.
• Contact Interlibrary Loan at uncilb@email.unc.edu or (919) 962-1326 to determine what can be borrowed and for how long.

Can the library purchase what you need?

• It might be possible for the Library to purchase materials that are not available through interlibrary loan. Please contact me with you request: Kirill Tolpygo ktolpygo@email.unc.edu and I will investigate.

Will you need a research trip to another institution?

• If neither interlibrary loan nor purchasing are options, your project may necessitate a research trip to another institution. Will this trip be domestic or international? Are any travel funds available to you? Will you be able to travel for a sufficient time to examine the materials that you need? These and other questions will help you determine whether your project is feasible.