Other Genealogy Libraries

The FamilySearch Library, until recently known as the Family History Library, is the finest genealogy library in the world. Housed in downtown Salt Lake City, right across the street from the Mormon Tabernacle, the FSL comprises 5 floors of a major building. Each floor has a different focus, has plenty of user workstations and work spaces. Their vast holdings of books and microfilmed records are awe-inspiring. Luckily, the LDS Church, who runs the FSL, has been working for years to digitize many of these records, and as a FamilySearch Affilliate, your Wimberley Village Library has access to many of those digitized records. Use the Catalog function to find what you want. If there is a Camera icon next to the entry – you can get it within the WVL. Some things… well, SLC is a nice town to visit.

Most people regard the ACPL as the second-best genealogy library in the USA. It is hard to argue with that, as it has extensive holdings of books, periodicals, and microfilms. It has also compiled a number of digital collections and links to other databases, organized into nice formats, much of which have been utilized in this webpage/document. One specific value of the ACPL is the PERSI index of periodicals, many of which the ACPL also houses in its stacks.

The famed downtown NYC Public Library also has an impressive genealogy department. Besides the usual sorts of printed materials the NYPL also has a strong focus on NYC-related resources, Irish immigration resources, general Ellis Island immigration records, revolutionary and colonial records, etc. They offer a number of online-accessible resources as well.

The Clayton Library is a pretty impressive building in the heart of the Museum District of Houston. It used to be in two buildings, but has been condensed into one, with general materials on one floor, and family histories on another. Although the WVL surpasses the Clayton in terms of online access to genealogy databases, the Clayton has far more printed materials, both books and periodicals.

The downtown branch of the Dallas Public Library has most of an entire floor devoted to genealogy. It has extensive stacks of printed materials, plenty of workspace and workstations, and digital access to a strong list of databases accessible from outside the library.

The Texas State Library has an extensive collection of historical records relating to Texas and Texas cities and counties.  The genealogy resources are largely duplicated by Familysearch or even here at the WVL, but the archival data can sometimes be found nowhere else.

Depending on to whom you speak, the MCPL has either the second or third-best collection of genealogy materials in the USA. And that says a lot… as some of the other libraries listed here are quite impressive in their collections. Besides the usual collection of regional and local-interest genealogy materials, the MCPL also offers an extensive collection of microfilm and digitized records and databases. One may request copies or ILL of some of these materials.

The Newberry Library has a vast collection of local materials, some of which can be scanned on request by the staff. It also has an online set of subscriptions to outside databases. As with most local libraries, it’s real strength is in Chicago-area resources such as city directories, tax lists, land records, etc.

Besides the usual collection of locally focused books and periodicals, the Birmingham Library also offers an extensive list of outside-accessible databases.  If you want a paper record scanned, they will do so for you.  As with most genealogy libraries, they also offer classes in genealogy research and assistance from their staff.

The Sutro Library has one of the largest collections of genealogy materials west of Salt Lake City.  They also have other genealogy services including an online collection of resources as well as librarians who will scan materials for you (within reason).

The Goodwood Library is the largest branch of the East Baton Rouge Parish public library system. They have dedicated a large room, complete with working desks, copiers, computers, stacks of local interest genealogy materials, and a couple dedicated librarians / research guides.