Genealogy & Local History

Find genealogy resources, selected and curated by Librarians.
We have something for everyone, whether you're a seasoned expert or beginning your journey into family history.
Learn how to build your family tree with our genealogy classes.

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Find it on our shelves

Popular Subjects & Keywords

Use these links to find print titles in our online library catalog.

African American Genealogy (Print)
Indians Genealogy (Print)
Genealogy (Print or Digital)
Genealogical Research (Print or Digital)
Virginia Genealogy (Print)
Passenger Lists (Print)
Genealogy Handbooks (Print)

Or search for Genealogy and limit to Digital Materials to see titles in hoopla and OverDrive.

Shelf Locations

Find titles on our shelves using the following Dewey Decimal Classification numbers:

025 (online resources)
929 (genealogy handbooks)
973 (1800s local history)
975.5 (local history)

Databases

Have your library card number handy if you are searching from outside the Library.

Ancestry Library Edition inside the library: Search U.S. Census; military records; court, land and probate records; vital and church records; directories; passenger lists and more for your genealogical and historical research needs.

HeritageQuest: Find ancestors and relatives in U.S. Federal Census Records from 1790-1940, information on people and places described in local and family histories, and genealogical information from an index of over 1.6 million articles. You can also search Revolutionary War era pension and bounty-land warrant application files and search for individuals in Freedman's Bank (1865-1874).

Ancestry for Virginians: The Library of Virginia has partnered with Ancestry.com to bring you free access to select collections and content regarding Virginia that would otherwise require an Ancestry.com subscription. This resource is available outside the library as long as you are within Virginia.

Universal Class: Learn something new or update your existing skills with online courses. Try the Genealogy 101 course.

Recommended Websites

Local Resources

General Genealogy

Cemetery Records

Census Records

For complete access to the U.S. Census before 1950, check out our HeritageQuest or Ancestry Library Edition databases.

Colonial Ancestry

Jamestowne Genealogy

Ethnic Genealogy

Land Records

Military Records

Obituaries

Online Virginia Death Records & Indexes
Henley Marriage/Obituary Index
Virginia obituary resources at Legacy.com
Obituary links for Virginia papers not included on Legacy.com may be found on Virginia Newspapers Obituary Links.
Use Google News's archive of scanned newspapers, which includes editions of selected local papers, like Fredericksburg's Free Lance-Star, Westmoreland County's The News Dispatch, and the Richmond Afro-American.
Virginia Chronicle

Ship Passenger Lists

Virginia Genealogy

Genealogical Research Institute of Virginia (GRIVA)
Library of Virginia
Virginia Genealogy (from the University of Virginia library)
Virginia GenWeb Project
Virginia Memory