Provider: Springfield City Library

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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Chilton Auto Repair Library

Detailed information about how to maintain and repair cars of all makes and models.

The most authoritative automotive repair information available to car owners. There are thousands of year, make and model combinations covering the most popular vehicles of the past 30 years, plus additional coverage of specialty models.

Get the detailed information you need to tackle vehicle maintenance and repairs. Also includes ASE test prep quizzes for the most popular certification exams.

Don’t want to look at it on a computer screen? Easily print out what you need!

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Comics Plus

Read comics and picture books for free online.

Comics Plus is a digital platform offering thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga, exclusively through libraries.

All titles are available 24/7 for online and offline reading. An internet connection is required to browse the collection and check out titles, while downloaded titles are accessible offline via the LibraryPass app for iOS or Android.

There are no waitlists or holds, and you can read as many as you wish!

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Family-friendly options

Enjoy unlimited access to thousands of age-appropriate digital graphic novels, manga, and picture books – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Comics Plus for Kids
Comics Plus for Teens

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Consumer Reports

Product testing, reviews, and price comparisons for consumer goods.

Consumer Reports is a nonprofit product-testing organization which helps users to compare prices, performance, and reliability all in one place with expert reviews.

Consumer Reports was founded in 1936 at a time when consumers had very few options to gauge the value, quality, or authenticity of goods and services. It remains a trusted source because their rigorous, independent testing and research still creates a marketplace built on credible information, greater transparency, and fairness.

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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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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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Freegal Music

Free music streaming and downloads with your library card.

Freegal offers access to about 15 million songs, including Sony Music’s catalog of legendary artists, and over 40,000 music videos, as well as audiobooks. There is no software to download, and there are no digital rights management (DRM) restrictions. Login with your library card number to stream or download songs. Springfield City Library cardholders are limited to 3 downloads per week. Apps available for iOS, Android, and Google devices.

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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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