There are a few different ways to search for obituaries depending on where the individual passed away.
Sarasota Area:
If they are from the Sarasota area, then many times an obituary will be published in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, which the library has Digital Access from 1995-present. This is available through our Newsbank database, located in our Digital Library under the Newspaper tab.
Please, note that this resource does not provide digitized versions but rather just a full copy of the text. If you would like a full copy of the article, then the Selby Public Library in downtown Sarasota has microfilm copies of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune from October 4, 1924 through January 20, 2010. These can be viewed on microfilm readers at the library, and patrons can make copies or save pages to a flashdrive. However, issues from the following dates are missing:
- February 1-28, 1954
- August 1-31, 1957
- September 16-30, 1970
- August 1-15, 1979
- October 16-31, 1982
- February 1-5, 2004
- February 6-10, 2004
- February 11-15, 2004
Additionally, if you are unable to visit the Selby Public Library or are unable to locate the obituary you’re looking for, you can contact Sarasota County Historical Resources at 941-861-6090 or through our Ask Us service to see if there is another way to obtain the local obituary. Just send in an email on the webform with your request.
Nearby Counties:
If you're looking for an obituary published in the Bradenton Herald newspaper or in Manatee County, you can contact the Manatee County Public Library System for assistance locating a copy of it. For more information, please visit their website here.
If you are looking for Obituaries published in Charlotte County, then you can contact the Charlotte County Public Library system for assistance locating a copy of it. For more information, please visit their website here.
If you are looking for obituaries published in DeSoto County, then you can contact the Desoto County Library System(Heartland Library Cooperative) for assistance locating a copy of it. For more information, please visit their website here.
Additional:
For the individuals not located in the Sarasota area or who want to continue an online search Sarasota County Library also provides access to the Ancestry Library Edition through our Digital Library under the Genealogy tab. Ancestry Library Edition can only be accessed at a Sarasota County Library location, and can be helpful in not only locating publication information for an obituary but also directly accessing the obituary. This resource may be especially good for individuals searching for obituaries outside of the United States.
The Google News Archive is a free online resource that offers digital copies of various newspapers, including the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. There are over 15,000 issues of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in the Google News Archive, with dates between October 4, 1925 and December 20, 2008. However, some issues are not in the archive and some issues are not complete.
Lastly, Death Indexes is a free site that gives a comprehensive list of various documents including obituaries, wills, and ceremonial records for each of the 50 states.