Reference Database Results

Genealogy, History & Culture

These reliable, easily discoverable open source materials may be used for homework assignments, personal inquiry, research papers and National History Day type-projects focused on African American history in the U.S. Visitors will find historical newspaper articles, pamphlets, diaries, correspondence and more from specific time periods in U.S. history marked by the opposition African Americans have faced on the road to freedom.

AtoZ World Food contains traditional recipes for 174 countries of the world.

Genealogy information, US Immigration records, SSDI, and Census images. (Ancestry Library Tutorial) Library Use Only

Peoples, lands, customs and lifestyles from around the world. (Tutorial)

A comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online (free, no library card required).

The largest collection of genealogical and historical records in the world. (From The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, requires the creation of a free account to search and view records).

Find the graves of ancestors and thousands of famous people.

Genealogy books and serials, and Federal Census data.

Legacy Washington documents extraordinary stories in Washington history. This collaborative venture, spearheaded by Secretary of State Kim Wyman, relies on original sources at the Washington State Library, the Washington State Archives and heritage organizations across the state. The work of Legacy Washington can be found in libraries around the country and museums of Washington.

Historical archives of international, national and local newspapers. **As of October 1, 2023, due to a 100%+ price increase ($12,000 to $25,000) by the vendor, the collection will be limited to Washington State newspapers. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

WSL's newspaper collection includes current issues on paper (125+ titles) and historic newspapers on microfilm (over 50,000 reels of newspapers dating from the 1850s to the present). There are more research options through subscription newspaper databases. Some of these online databases, like the historical Olympian archives, are not accessible if you are in a TRL building. To access the online databases at the WSL or from home, you must get an e-card from the WSL (available to any WA resident).

Service hub at the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) from Northwest Digital Heritage, a partnership betwen Washington State Library, the Oregon Heritage Commission, and the State Library of Oregon.

Northwest Digital Heritage is a collaboration between the Washington State Library, State Library of Oregon, and Oregon Heritage Commission that serves libraries and cultural heritage institutions across the Pacific Northwest region.

Ancestry.com site designed to connect people so that they can help each other and share genealogical research.

Sanborn maps are large-scale plans of a city or town, drawn at a scale of 50 feet to an inch. They were created to assist fire insurance companies as they assessed the risk associated with insuring a particular property. The maps list street blocks and building numbers including numbers in use at the time the map was made and previous numbers. Includes cities and towns in Washington State.

Explore Seattle history through local news, events, and people with Seattle Times Collection. Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online. 1985-current (image version from 2018-current).

Free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States.

About the Timberland Regional Library Collection: The Review Club of Aberdeen is the oldest women's cultural group still operating in the state of Washington. Founded on March 3, 1891, the group meets in Aberdeen twice a month to share and discuss "good books." Topics have included everything from fiction to politics to spiritualism. The group's continued existence speaks to the ongoing desire for intellectual opportunities for women throughout the century.

Washington Rural Heritage is a community memory project headquartered at the Washington State Library. The project brings together unique local history materials from libraries, museums, and private collections of citizens across Washington State.