There are a few different ways to search for obituaries. Sarasota County Historical Resources maintains a database of local obituaries, which can be accessed here. This database is a good place to start. If the obituary you’re looking for is in the index, you will then be able to see where and when the obituary was published as well as full text of select obituaries.
If the obituary was published in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, there are a few ways you can access the newspaper. Digital access to articles from 1995 to the present is available through our Newsbank database. This database can be found on our Digital Library page, under the Newspaper tab. This resource provides full-text copies of most articles from each edition of the newspaper, including obituaries, that are copied from the newspaper. However, this resource does not provide digitized versions of the newspaper exactly as it was originally printed, just a full copy of the text.
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
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.
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..
Sarasota County Libraries also provide access to the Ancestry Library Edition, which can be accessed on our Digital Library page under the Genealogy tab. This resource can only be accessed at a Sarasota County Library. This resource includes access to other obituary indexes that are automatically included when you search the website. Sometimes you will be able to locate publication information for an obituary for the person you’re looking for through one of the obituary indexes, and sometimes you’ll actually be able to view or access the obituary directly in your search results.
If you're looking for an obituary published in the Bradenton Herald newspaper, you can contact the Manatee County Public Library System for assistance locating a copy of it. For more information, please visit their website here.