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Explore Your Topic: Genealogy

Our librarians have handpicked the most helpful resources on this topic from the Library collection and online.

Two people in front of library books are looking at a microfiche that one person is holding up to the light. The other person is holding a newpaper facing the viewer.

Databases

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Ancestry Library Edition

Ancestry Library Edition

Discover your family history using records from the US, UK and Canadian census and vital records, immigration records, photos & more. Onsite access only.

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KnowBC (incl. Encyclopedia of British Columbia)

KnowBC (incl. Encyclopedia of British Columbia)

Online edition of the Encyclopedia of BC, an authoritative resource on BC past and present with photographs, maps, charts, sound and video clips.

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Points to the Past

Points to the Past

Primary source historical content back to 1450, including The Smithsonian, Anti-Slavery Transnational Archive, treaties, declassified documents & more.

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Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg

A collection of more than 45,000 free ebooks in English and other languages. Most of the items in this collection are the full texts of public domain (out of copyright) books.

On The Web

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B.C. Archives Vital Events Index (Royal BC Museum)

Electronic index to British Columbia's historical birth, death and marriage registration records. Search BC Archives indexes to births (1854-1903), marriages (1872-1941), deaths (1872-1996), colonial marriages (1859-1872) and baptisms (1836-1888).

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Cyndi's List

Cyndi's List of Genealogical Sites on the Internet is a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online.

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FamilySearch.org

From The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch provides free access to 4+ billions names from all over the world. You can create an account and build your family tree online free of charge.

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Genealogy and Family History (LAC)

Explore topics, links, and related research for additional resources, including Genealogical Societies, International Archives, Canadian Archives and Libraries, & more. Use the Tracing Your Ancestors in Canada guide to learn about genealogy resources available at LAC and how to access them.

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Surrey Libraries - Family History

Discover your past, discover yourself! Surrey Libraries, at their Cloverdale Library, has over 5000 microfilms and over 3000 books in their archive. Access genealogical databases (at Cloverdale Library only): Ancestry, Find My Past World, Heritage Quest, Points to the Past, and Scotland Places.

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UK National Archives

The UK's central advisory body on archives and manuscripts. Go directly to the Family History Research Guides page to learn how to find and use military records, wills, the census and a wide range of other records to trace your ancestors.

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US National Archives - Genealogy

US genealogists/family historians main page for information, events, and research in genealogy and family history.

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US National Archives and Records Administration

Archives of the nation's Federal records. Resources of interest include Census Records (1790 - 1940), Military & Immigration records & more. The site also offers guides and tools on how to use the Archives for genealogy research. Go directly to the Resources for Genealogists page to get started.

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Vancouver Public Library

VPL has a comprehensive genealogy and family history subject guide with helpful links to material in their own collection as well as links and ideas for searching elsewhere. VPL also hosts free workshops on topics of genealogical interest.

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