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The Census for Genealogy Researchers by explore

Information for researchers who wish to use the census for genealogy researcher.

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Ancestry for Beginners by explore

These books will help you research your family history.

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Electronic Resources


Blog Posts

Department Highlights: Social Science and History

Since  Parkway Central Library  opened in 1927, patrons have had free and open access to its rich and unique collections, expanding services, and professionally trained and welcoming staff. The robust programs and collections…

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Ancestry Library Edition

Visit one of our libraries to explore our newest database,  Ancestry Library Edition , which provides the most extensive collection of genealogical information currently available online. You can explore your family’s…

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NewspaperArchive Is a Blast From the Past!

NewspaperArchive is an online database of billions (and yes, that’s BILLIONS with a B!) of newspaper articles from Pennsylvania, the U.S. (all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), and all over the globe…

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New Release of the ProQuest Sanborn Maps Database

Sanborn fire insurance maps are available once again through ProQuest’s updated and newly-released database, Sanborn Maps 1867-1970 (formerly known as Sanborn Maps Geo Edition 1867-1970). This database gives you access to…

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A Census Story

Updated Wednesday, September 30, 2020 4:45 p.m. The census deadline, originally slated for September 30 after the federal administration moved to an earlier date, has now been extended to October 5 .  In 1930, Dorothy Evelyn Hudson…

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Finding "Nonno"

In addition to offering patrons ever-growing Digital Collections , dozens of research databases , and a rich variety of genealogic resources , the Free Library and the Special Collections Division deliver an exceptional customer…

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Who's Your Granddaddy?

It’s been said that "everybody has a past." Would you like to delve into yours? If so, we can help you find links to the unknowns in your life and the life of your family with our newest program "Who’s your…

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Remember an Gorta Mór: the Great Famine

Now that the fog has lifted from St. Patrick’s Day, it occurs to us at the Free Library that the holiday is the moment where the fact of an Irish diaspora is felt most strongly in Philadelphia. However, as St. Patrick’s Day…

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The Philadelphia Colored Directory of 1910 Recently Scanned and Available for Download in Our Digital Collections

The Philadelphia Colored Directory , a handbook of religious, social, political, professional, business activities of the Negroes of Philadelphia, was compiled by R. (Richard) R. (Robert) Wright, Jr.; assisted by Ernest Smith. This…

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The Skies Proclaim the Work of His Hands ~ Carl Friederich Egelmann (1782-1860)

If you have a moment, I’d like to introduce you to Carl Friederich Egelmann, or Charles Frederick Egelmann as he came to be known in America.  He was born in Neuenkirchen, Germany on May 12, 1782  and was only 20 when he…

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Rejoice My Heart for a New Year Begins

  Had Daniel Schumacher (1729-1787) been an ordinary man, we probably would never have heard of him.  His bad habits of drinking, swearing, lying, and dancing, amongst others, were not uncommon among the men of his day. …

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Explore Your Pennsylvania German Heritage

Did you know that German immigrants started towns in Pennsylvania as early as 1683? If you have German ancestry, you might be able to connect with your Pennsylvania German heritage using the Free Library’s Fraktur Digital…

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