Research & Learn: Genealogy & Local History

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Get access to subscription-based resources that Google can’t offer

Your Oak Park Public Library card and PIN give you access to the online resources listed here. Have questions? Get answers to FAQs, watch how-to videos, read about your data privacy, and contact us »

Need to search multiple resources at once? Use the catalog's Article Search to find full-text results. Let's get started »

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African American Heritage

Genealogy database devoted to African American family history research.


Ancestry Library Edition (in-library use only)

Genealogical information covering the U.S. and the United Kingdom (only available in the Oak Park Public Library).


Chicago Tribune

Browse (digital scan of print issue): current (last 3 issues) & Sunday edition (July 2018-present)
Search (full-text articles): current (1985-present), online edition (2017-present) & historical (1849-1997)


FamilySearch

Genealogical service that includes over a billion individual ancestral entries worldwide. Additional content—including millions of records and images—is available in-library only.

Get step-by-step instructions on how to set up an account (first-time users must create an account; a library card is not needed but name and birthdate are required):


HeritageQuest Online

Genealogical and historical records, including images of US federal census documents.


NewspaperARCHIVE

Access to historical issues of hundreds of Illinois newspapers, including Oak Leaves (1902-1977), with searchable articles, advertisements, editorials, classified ads, and obituaries.


Oak Leaves

Search (full-text articles): current (1995-present)


Special Collections

Specific cultural and heritage collections that reflect the unique values and enduring legacies of Oak Park, including the following collections: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ernest Hemingway, Frank Lloyd Wright, Grand Army of the Republic, local authors, Philander Barclay Photograph, and more.


Steiner Index

Information on original owners, architects, building dates, and addresses for Oak Park and River Forest houses and buildings.


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