Libraries & Record Repositories

You may borrow materials from other libraries. This is done through Link+ (recommended) or interlibrary loan. In some cases you may also borrow directly from libraries listed here.

California State Library, including the Sutro Branch

The California State Library's online catalog includes most of the holdings of the Sutro Branch (San Francisco) Library, a major genealogy library. The California Room in Sacramento is the place to go for California genealogy, however. The State Library has a large collection of California City Directories and newspapers on microfilm available for interlibrary loan within California. Its Pioneer Card File and Biography Files can now be viewed at Ancestry.com. Most books from the Sutro Library may be borrowed on interlibrary loan.

Mid-Continent Public Library – Independence Missouri

This library has a large collection of books that may be borrowed on Interlibrary loan. Check its online catalog for details.

FamilySearch

Records span billions of names across hundreds of collections including birth, marriage, death, probate, land, military, and more. Also available is a vast collection of genealogy articles, guides and videos to help develop your genealogy skills. The Books tab takes you to a large collection of digitalized books from major genealogy libraries.

Local FamilySearch Centers:

• Stockton: 800 W. Brookside Rd., 951-7060
• Lodi: 721 Ham Lane, 369-4148
• Manteca Center: 6060 E. Northland Rd., 239-5516
• Tracy: 1981 Chester Drive, 835-1816

FamilySearch Centers offer free access to Ancestry.com, HeritageQuest, Fold3, the Godfrey Library database subscriptions and more.

Major Genealogy Collections

Major Genealogy Collections in the United States may be found at the following libraries. Most of these libraries do not loan their genealogy materials, but you can at least verify the existence of titles that may be available elsewhere.

Allen County Public Library – Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne maintains the PERSI magazine index. Volunteers will copy articles from this index for a fee. See the PERSI Order Form on the library's web page.

California State Library, including its Sutro Branch

DAR Library, Washington, D.C.

Besides linking to the library, this site includes many record collections including an index to American Revolution patriots connected to DAR member applications. This index may be searched for free.

Godfrey Memorial Library – Middletown, CT

can pay to be a member of the Godfrey Library and use its subscription databases from home. The Godfrey subscription databases are also available free at Family History Centers.

Library of Congress, the Genealogy Page

The Library of Congress has the largest collection of genealogy and local history in the country. It's web page offers many useful resources as well.

Los Angeles Public Library

Besides having a large genealogy collection, LAPL has a database of local history indexing and documents for California.

Mid-Continent Public Library – Independence Missouri

This library has a large collection of books that can be borrowed on Interlibrary loan. Check the catalog..

New England Historic Genealogical Society – Boston, Mass

This web site includes many record collections. Many are free; others require membership.

WorldCat

Search for book titles in libraries across the country and worldwide. WorldCat is a union catalog representing the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) global cooperative.