Learning more about our family history can be very satisfying. The library has a number of free resources to help you with your genealogy research.
Databases for Genealogy
Ancestry Library Edition
Billions of searchable genealogy documents, including census, military, immigration, birth, and death records.
Chicago Daily News Historical Archive
Full-page historical image access to the archives of one of Chicago’s leading newspapers, covering local events from 1875 to 1978.
Chicago Sun-Times Historical and Current Collection
Full-text article access of the Chicago Sun/Chicago Daily Times/Chicago-Sun Times from 1929 to the present, plus full-image page views of the newspaper from 1929 to 1985 and 2018 onward.
Chicago Tribune (1849–present)
Search the full newspaper archive from 1849 onward. Pre-1987 issues include images of articles, photographs, death notices, and advertisements. From 1987 to the present, text-only versions of articles and obituaries are available.
HeritageHub
U.S. obituaries and death notices from from 1704 to today, including hard-to-find content from the mid-1900s and original obituary images.
Community Resources for Genealogy and Local History
Evanston History Center
Organization that collects, preserves, and shares Evanston history.
Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum
Exclusive focus on the history, culture, and arts of North American native peoples.
Niles Historical and Cultural Center
Local history, as well as many resources on 19th and 20th century history of the Chicago area.
8970 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL
United States
Skokie Heritage Museum
The current home of Skokie’s oldest log cabin. Offers events and walking tours.
8031 Floral Ave.
Skokie, IL
United States
Wilmette Historical Museum
Nonprofit, volunteer-run organization devoted to promoting local history.
