Explore your ancestral roots with help from these resources.
Our digital offerings may include third-party content or tools that are outside of our control. If you encounter an accessibility barrier, have concerns, or need reasonable accommodations, please contact us at 509.444.5300.
ANCESTRY LIBRARY EDITION
Ancestry Library Edition contains collections with unparalleled coverage of the United States and the United Kingdom. Note: This is only available on computers at a Library location.
DIGITAL PHOTO ARCHIVE
Explore Spokane’s history through historic images of the homes, buildings, streets, Indigenous Peoples, and activities in and around the region. A physical photograph collection is also available with staff assistance.
FamilySearch provides free access to a vast collection of digitized genealogical records from archives around the world. While some records have restricted access online, accessing FamilySearch through this link at a library location unlocks nearly 90% of these records. Create a free personal FamilySearch account – you will not need your library card to login. Only available on computers at any library location.
Search full text and images of a wide variety of historic Washington and Idaho newspapers, along with newspapers in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming.
Search a regional directory of obituaries dating back to the early 1900s. This will show you the publication and where to find it at Central Library.
Discover searchable digital images of Spokane’s historic newspapers, from 1883 to 2009 and the Spokane Chronicle from 1890 to 1992.
Browse digitized versions of more than 200 hundred Spokane high school yearbooks from the years 1911-1977.
Access digital death certificates for all those who died in Washington State from July 1, 1907 – December 31, 1995.