Genealogy at the Library

One parchment paper on a table with the words "get to know your family heritage" on the front of the graphic

When you research your family genealogy, you want to have access to a wide variety of sources and tools so that you can find the historical documents you need. Your Library has you covered with a world of useful resources housed in our Regional History & Genealogy department to help you delve into your family’s story. From databases like Heritage Quest to classes and historic newspapers, we have many resource to support your work. 

Classes

No matter where you are in your research process, don’t miss our regularly occurring virtual genealogy classes where you can learn essential research techniques and tools to support your work. You can also find helpful handouts from these classes to get you started before the next class.

Databases

Your library card gets you access to a variety of genealogy databases where you can research your family history. You will need an El Paso County resident card (which starts with a 4) to access these databases remotely, or you can access them at any Library location.

One handy database to explore is HeritageQuest, where you will find a comprehensive treasury of American and international genealogical records rich in primary sources, local and family histories, military records, census maps, and more. In this database, search for your ancestors using US Census records and US Indian Census Rolls, Canada Census records, and other sources.

Other databases include MyHeritage, Ancestry Library Edition, Fold3, American Ancestors, and FamilySearch.

Newspapers

Genealogy databases are not the only place you can look for your family history. Newspaper databases can also provide useful information for your project, especially if your family is local to Colorado. Both PPLD’s microfilm collection and the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection database contain historic newspapers from Colorado and the Pikes Peak region. For a wider selection of news from across the U.S., look in the 19th Century U.S. Newspapers database and the Newspaper Archive database.

Regional History & Genealogy

For more information about how else our Regional History & Genealogy department can support your genealogy needs, visit our Genealogy page!