eLibrary Categories: Genealogy & History

American Ancestors

Access to collections of genealogical and public records from around the world, focusing on the US and New England.

AmericanAncestors.org provides access to 1.4+ billion records spanning the United States, the British Isles, continental Europe, and beyond, including one of the most extensive online collections of early American genealogical records, the largest searchable collection of published genealogical research journals and magazines, and the only online source for records from Boston’s Catholic Archdiocese.

At the library, you can search 1.4 billion names on American Ancestors. If you sign up for a free guest membership, you can also…

  • Access guides to help you improve your research strategies
  • Browse their video library to learn about special topics in genealogy and historical research
  • Chat with an expert genealogist

American Ancestors is maintained by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston.

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Ancestry

Professional or hobbyist, genealogist or historian—answers await you on Ancestry Library.

Ancestry Library Edition provides unprecedented access to family history via documents that record the lineage of individuals from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and more.

Find your ancestors in vital records, Census images from 1790-1950, military records, and immigration records.

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Digital Sanborn Maps

Property and land-use maps for locations across the Commonwealth.

ProQuest Digital Sanborn Maps (1867-1970) delivers detailed property and land-use records that depict the grid of everyday life in more than 12,000 U.S. towns and cities across a century of change. Founded in 1867 by D. A. Sanborn, the Sanborn Map Company was the primary American publisher of fire insurance maps for nearly 100 years, repeatedly mapping towns and cities as they changed. Combined with other sources such as city directories, photographs, small-scale maps, census records, genealogies, and statistical data. The Sanborn Maps provide an unparalleled picture of life in American towns and cities.

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Family Search

Search billions of ancestor profiles, photographs, and historical documents at once—absolutely FREE.

This free website offers a variety of genealogical databases, access to unindexed images of genealogical records, the Social Security Death Index, wiki entries describing various types of genealogical research, and access to the Family History Library’s catalog.

The Central Library is a Family Search affiliate library. Through the affiliate program, you can find additional training and resources on how to complete your research. View affiliate library resources here.

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Fold3

Military records for genealogy searches.

Fold3 provides access to military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.

The records at Fold3 help you discover and share stories about these everyday heroes, forgotten soldiers, and the families that supported them. On Fold3, you can create a free user account to combine records found on the site with what you have in your own albums and shoeboxes to create an online memorial for someone who served.

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Heritage Hub

US obituaries and death notices from 1704 to today.

Explore your family history with the premier collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth genealogical research from 1704 to today. HeritageHub helps you easily identify relatives, uncover new information and potentially unknown family members. Includes deep coverage from all 50 states, hard-to-find content from the mid 1900’s, and original obituary images.

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