Genealogy Databases
Browse this collection of links to helpful genealogy databases for beginners and experienced genealogists alike.
Library Databases
Your library card gives you 24/7 access to many databases, archives, and periodicals in a variety of topics. To view an A-Z listing of all of CCPL’s subscription databases, click here.
Ancestry Library Edition: Research your family history with this enhanced library version of Ancestry.com containing 200 billion+ images inside the more than 8,000 unique collections from across the world. Here, you can explore the past with sources like censuses, vital records, immigration records, family histories, military records, court and legal documents, directories, photos, maps, and more. Guide — Library Use Only
HeritageQuest: With more than 4.4 billion records dating back to the 1700s, this database offers an excellent collection of genealogical and historical sources. Locate and view over 700 million U.S. census records, city directories, military records, wills and probate records, and more. Because HeritageQuest is “powered” by Ancestry and shares some record collections, it is a good alternative to Ancestry Library Edition for patrons researching from home. Guide — Library & Home Use
Fold3: This database is the perfect resource for researching your military ancestors. Fold3 provides quick and easy access to over 500 million indexed and digitized military records, including service records, documents, photos, draft cards, and more for those who served. It is home to U.S. military records from the Revolutionary War to the Vietnam War, as well as those from various international conflicts. Patrons can view, print, and download these records to use in their family research. Guide — Library & Home Use
Newspaper Source: Newspaper Source provides cover-to-cover full text for more than 40 national (U.S.) and international newspapers, including Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The Times (London), Toronto Star, etc. The database also contains selective full text for more than 370 regional (U.S.) newspapers. In addition, full-text television & radio news transcripts are provided from CBS News, CNN, CNN International, FOX News, NPR, etc. Library & Home Use
Quick Links
Chronicling America: Search over 16 million digitized newspaper pages from more than 3,100 newspaper titles from all across the country with this database provided by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) in partnership with the Library of Congress. Chronicling America also provides a directory of US newspapers from 1690 to the present including the location of repositories that have each title in their holdings. Guide
FamilySearch: Users have free access to over 1.4 billion digital images of historical records, an additional 1.7 billion images in the FamilySearch Catalog, and 485,000+ genealogy and history books in the Digital Library. Operated by the LDS Church, FamilySearch’s resources include transcriptions, indexes, and scanned images of records held at the Family History Library, educational videos, and an in-depth Wiki covering a wide variety of genealogy and history topics. Guide
Find a Grave: Use this database to search over 180 million cemetery and burial records from around the world. The site provides tools that allow volunteers from all over the world work together and contribute information to the database. Find a Grave is always expanding, with countless new memorials, updates, corrections, and photographs each day. Guide
Missouri Digital Heritage: Explore over 9 million records from repositories across the state of Missouri, including those held at the Missouri State Archives, Missouri State Library, and many other libraries and historical societies. Collections include Missouri birth and death records prior to 1910, digitized death certificates from 1910 to 1969 (as of Spring 2020), state and county maps and histories, military service records, Missouri State Penitentiary records, and more. Guide
RootsWeb: Search user-contributed family trees containing millions of names, archived mailing list messages, Ancestry message boards, hosted genealogy websites, and RootsWeb’s Wiki containing reference articles from The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy and Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources. Guide