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Databases —-> Genealogy & History

Online Resources

Business & Career I Genealogy & History I Law & Government I Newspapers & Magazines I DIY & Special Interest I eBooks & Streaming

Student Resources:

Elementary I Middle I High School & Adult Learners

Test Prep I Learn a New Language or Skill

Use these resources to search for magazine & newspaper articles, encyclopedia entries or business and job information; find a recommendation for a good novel; and much more. Your library card is required to search most of the databases.

Genealogy & History

Ancestry.com Library Edition

Special Remote Access Available until December 31, 2021.

Please click here to use Ancestry.com from home.

The Ancestry Library Edition collection has approximately 4,000 databases including key collections such as U.S. Federal Census images and indexes from 1790 to 1930; the Map Center containing more than 1,000 historical maps, Social Security Death Index (updated monthly); WWI Draft Registration Cards; Federal Slave Narratives; and a strong Civil War Collection.

Black Freedom Struggle

Featuring expertly selected open primary source documents. Visitors will find historical newspaper articles, pamphlets, diaries, correspondence and more from specific time periods in U.S. history marked by the opposition African Americans have faced on the road to freedom.

Digital Maryland

Online collection of Maryland Historical and Cultural documents, images, audio, and video held by Maryland Institutions. Headquartered at the Enoch Pratt Free Library/State Library Resource

Gale eBooks

Reference eBooks on subjects such as: business, education, history, science, and more.

Heritage Quest

HeritageQuest Online is designed specifically for patrons in public libraries who are either just beginning their family research or who after years of work are still uncovering their past.

Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970

Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970 provides access to more than 660,000 large-scale maps for more than 12,000 American towns and cities. Sanborn fire insurance maps are the most frequently consulted maps in libraries, and are valuable historical tools. In electronic form, Sanborn maps allow users to easily manipulate the maps, magnify and zoom in on specific sections, and layer maps from different years.