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African American Genealogy Research - An Introduction to Resources: Databases

An introduction to the research and resources available for African American genealogy.

Databases

Subscription databases focused on genealogy research are valuable resources for finding your ancestors. These databases may be found at the websites of certain libraries, organizations, and societies that make these databases available to library cardholders or association members. You may also find that while searching in one database, links to the content of another database will be provided.  Personal subscriptions may also be required to access and download documents.

Genealogy databases may index, abstract, and digitize the content of various collections. Not every database will include the content from all available sources or collections. Try doing your research in different databases whenever possible to widen your results.

ProQuest is one provider of several databases available for genealogy research. A few are listed below. Visit the ProQuest site for a more complete listing of their products.

  • African American Heritage
  • Ancestry Library Edition
  • Black Abolitionist Papers
  • Heritage Quest
  • Historical Newspapers: Chicago Defender (1910-1975)
  • Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Sentinel (1934-2005)
  • Newspapers.com: Historic Newspapers (1700s-2000s)

The following local libraries offer access to their subscription genealogy databases for library card holders:

  • Los Angeles Public Library Ancestry Library Edition
    • Ancestry Library Edition (accessible only from a LAPL Branch or the Central Library)

Family History Centers and Libraries are locally operated and supervised. The facilities and resources of the centers differ by location, and range from small, “Computer-only” facilities that do not circulate film and are open only a few hours a week, to large centers open typical business hours with dozens of volunteers, computers, digital film readers, scanners, and printers to support the patrons’ use of extensive collections of books, periodicals, maps, microfilm and microfiche. The following databases may be found at these centers:

  • 19th Century British Newspapers
  • Newspaper Archive
  • Alexander Street Press (American Civil War Collections)
  • Ancestry.com (Family History Library Edition)
  • ArkivDigital Online
  • findmypast
  • Fold3.com
  • HeritageQuest
  • Historic Map Works (Library Edition)
  • Origins.net
  • Paper Trail, A Guide to Overland Pioneer Names and Documents
  • WorldVitalRecords.com (accessible only from Family History Center computers)

The National Archive and Records Administration offers the following online resources for free when searched on the computers in their Research Rooms. Visit the National Archive list of Nationwide Network of Archive Facilities and click on the Research in Person tab for a list of Research Rooms in California. The Riverside facility is the only Southern California site.

  • America: History and Life
  • Ancestry.com
  • ArchivesUSA 
  • Archives Unbound
  • Biography and Genealogy Master Index (BGMI)
  • CIA Records Search Tool (CREST)
  • Digital National Security Archive
  • Fold3 (Formerly Footnote.com)
  • Ingenta (Articles)
  • ProQuest Direct
  • U.S. Serial Set Digital Collection   

Valencia Mitchell

Contact Info: 
Cerritos College Library
11110 Alondra Blvd.
Norwalk, CA 90650 
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Library of Congress Subject Area Specialties
A - General Works
C - Auxillary Sciences of History; Genealogy
M - Music and Books on Music

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