Resources for Researching Your Family History

We have many books available about researching and preserving your family history.

Here are just a few:

• Bringing Your Family History to Life through Social History – Katherine Scott Sturdevant
• Digitizing Your Family History: Easy Methods for Preserving Your Heirloom Documents, Photos, Home Movies and More in a Digital Format – Rhonda R. McClure
• Genealogy for the First Time: Research Your Family History – Laura Best
• Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family’s History and Heritage – Barbara Renick
• Finding a Place Called Home: A Guide to African-American Genealogy and Historical Identity – Dee Parmer Woodtor
• Finding Oprah’s Roots: Finding Your Own – Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
• Finding Your Family on the Internet: The Ultimate Guide to Online Family History Research – Michael Otterson
• The Organized Family Historian: How to File, Manage, and Protect Your Genealogical Research and Heirlooms – Ann Carter Fleming
  
  

We also have two genealogy research databases available at the San Francisco Public Library:

Ancestry Library Edition: Resources for genealogical and historical research. Includes census, military, court, land, probate, vital and church records; directories; passenger lists, and more. (Accessible only in the Main Library and branches)

HeritageQuest Online: Resources for genealogical and historical research. Includes the U.S. Federal Census, the PERSI index, Freedman’s bank records, local and family histories, and more. (Accessible with a library card) (link)

Be sure to check out the workshops we are offering on how to use these databases!

In addition, you may be interested in various resources available in our San Francisco History Center, including the Pathfinder to Vital Records (PDF).