Genealogy Resources

Discover your family history with our treasure trove of Genealogy eResources. Access popular subscription-based resources that are perfect for anyone looking to explore local history or uncover family secrets. We’ve also included some popular free resources at the bottom of the page.

Genealogy Resources

African American Heritage

Connect to a community of research experts, and access a comprehensive mix of records, resources and tools exclusively devoted to African American family history research.

Ancestry (In Library Access)

Discover your family’s history using this collection containing more than 4,000 databases and 1.5 billion names cover the U.S. and U.K. (Please note: This resource is free to use when inside the library.)

Chicago Tribune

Get full-text first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of local practices, society and events from 1985 through present day.

Chicago Tribune Historical Archive

Get full-text first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of local practices, society and events from 1849 through 1993.

FamilySearch

Discover the largest genealogy organization in the world featuring records, resources and services to help you learn more about your family history.

Fold3

Access a vast selection of genealogical and historical resources, including military service records, city directories, newspapers, vital records and much more.

MyHeritage

Search billions of historical documents, millions of historical photos and other resources in thousands of databases that span the past five centuries.

Additional Resources

• BBHPC Obituary Index: The Bolingbrook Historic Preservation Commission compiled the local obituary index from 1968 to 2021.
• Chronicling America: Search and read digitized newspapers from 1880–1922, and find information about American newspapers published between 1690 and today.
• Google Books: Search full texts of books and magazines stored in Google’s digital database.
• Google Newspaper Archive: Browse newspaper articles from hundreds of global newspapers.
• Internet Archive: Browse an extensive genealogical text collection.
• Midwest Genealogy Center: Explore an extensive collection of family history books, local history items, microfilm, maps, newspaper clippings and more.
• Newberry Library: The Newberry provides resources such as family histories, censuses records, cemetery records, military rosters, periodicals, genealogical guides and much more.
• Old Fulton Postcards Newspaper Search: Search a newspaper collection used by genealogists, historians, writers and local history enthusiasts.
• Will County Historical Society: Home to a large collection of Will County documents, plat maps, church records, state hospital registers and other local collections.