The Library is closed on October 18 for Staff Day. No room bookings are available.

GENEALOGY

“I want you to know how much help I received from the Library over a period of many years… As I was searching for a ‘lost’ family member, I needed help finding not only Frederick G. Hoenes but also all of the members of his family as well. These discoveries have thrilled our extended family to no end, as we never knew what had happened to this branch of the Hoenes family.” – Laurie Kade

UNDERSTAND YOUR PAST

Trace your roots and discover your past at Spokane Public Library, located on the 3rd floor of the Central Library within the Inland Northwest Special Collections. Genealogy research at Spokane Public Library maintains a special emphasis on Spokane, Eastern Washington, and the Inland Northwest.

Get in touch with the Inland Northwest Special Collections team at (509) 444-5338 or insc@spokanelibrary.org.

RESOURCES AVAILABLE

SEARCH 100,000 OBITUARIES

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.

Watch a Video Tutorial

5 Videos

Genealogy for Beginners

How to Use Ancestry Library Edition

Taking Care of Your Family's Papers and Photographs

How to Read Old Handwriting

Finding Women in Genealogy Research

THE LATEST FROM THE BLOG

Preserving Black History: Community Scanning Day

Written by Archivist and Special Collections Librarian, Dana Bronson In the Inland Northwest Special Collections, we try to practice what Rachel Vagts, an archivist at

Benny & Joon Exhibit at Central Library

Benny & Joon, the hit 1993 film featuring Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson, was filmed right here in Spokane! Now we’re celebrating the film’s

From the Vault: Stonewall News

In honor of Pride Month, learn more about the history of our diverse communities in Spokane through the Inland Northwest’s first LGTBQIA2S+ newspaper—Stonewall News. First

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

Access FamilySearch genealogical resources. You will not need your library card to login, but you will need to create your own personal FamilySearch account to access the database. Note: Only available on computers at any Library location.

NEHGS AMERICAN ANCESTORS

Explore vital genealogical records in the U.S. with a focus on New England. Note: This service is only available at Central Library.

NEWSPAPERS.COM

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.

PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS

Discover searchable digital images of Spokane’s historic newspapers, from 1883 to 2009 and the Spokane Chronicle from 1890 to 1992.

OBITUARIES

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.

WASHINGTON STATE DEATH CERTIFICATES

Access digital death certificates for all those who died in Washington State from July 1, 1907 – December 31, 1995.

YEARBOOKS (SPOKANE HIGH SCHOOLS)

Browse digitized versions of more than 200 hundred Spokane high school yearbooks from the years 1911-1977.

The Library is closed on October 18 for Staff Day. No room bookings are available.

Get Started

Downloads & Streaming

Can't Find it?

Language

Locations

Kiosks

Other Access

Closures

Upcoming Events

Events by Age

Ongoing Events

Trending Now

Services

Genealogy & Local History

Language

Career & Economic Success

Creating & Making

Research & Learn

Homework Help

Online Courses

Open Data

Kids & Teens

Homework Help

Teachers

Library Information

Partners

Library Organization

Support the Library

Connect with Us

Get Started

Downloads & Streaming

Can't Find it?

Language

Locations

Kiosks

Other Access

Closures

Upcoming Events

Events by Age

Ongoing Events

Trending Now

Services

Genealogy & Local History

Language

Career & Economic Success

Creating & Making

Research & Learn

Homework Help

Online Courses

Open Data

Kids & Teens

Homework Help

Teachers

Library Information

Partners

Library Organization

Support the Library

Connect with Us

GENEALOGY

UNDERSTAND YOUR PAST

RESOURCES AVAILABLE

SEARCH 100,000 OBITUARIES

Watch a Video Tutorial

THE LATEST FROM THE BLOG

RESEARCH TOOLS

ANCESTRY LIBRARY EDITION

DIGITAL PHOTO ARCHIVE

FAMILYSEARCH

NEHGS AMERICAN ANCESTORS

NEWSPAPERS.COM

PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS

OBITUARIES

WASHINGTON STATE DEATH CERTIFICATES

YEARBOOKS (SPOKANE HIGH SCHOOLS)

Upcoming events

BOOKS, MOVIES & MORE

ABOUT

LOCATIONS

CONNECT WITH US