It’s like digging through your grandma’s attic, without the dust.
Don’t worry. We’re not in her attic, but we can help you discover your family tree and connect you to your roots in a number of different ways.
- Get started on your search from the comfort of your home
- Then dig through online and physical archives at the Library
- Talk to an expert who walks into the past with different families every day
Ancestry.com (In-Library Use Only)
Discover your unique family history with billions of free records from around the world, including census and vital records, immigration and passport records, plus periodicals, books and photos. You can also send documents home from the library for your own records. You must be in a library branch to use Ancestry.com.
Newspapers.com California Collection
Access an archive of over 400 California newspapers from 1851–2009. Search for obituaries, marriage announcements, birth announcements and more.
American Ancestors
Research genealogy using the New England Historic Genealogical Society’s collection of civic and church records, newspapers, military and court records, tax and voter lists, diaries, published genealogies and more. Available only at Central Library.
The Sacramento Room
Access
extensive local archives including books, periodicals, maps, ephemera, postcards and photographs, as well as online access to many digital archives of local history. Located at
Central Library.
Genealogist Collection
A select group of reference books, periodicals, and other materials to support your family history research. Located at
Central Library.
Upcoming Events
Join us for free monthly genealogy lectures on a variety of topics that will help you with your family history research. Presented by knowledgeable and qualified speakers, topics include census and vital records, newspaper research, important genealogy websites, and DNA testing, to name a few.
The following virtual genealogy presentations take place via Zoom on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.:
Watch past genealogy presentations on our
YouTube channel.