Biography & Genealogy Resources

Our Online Resources

Ancestry.com
In-library use only
Ancestry.com is the world's leading resource for online family history and genealogy. Records include census and voter lists; birth, marriage, and death certificates; military records; and immigration and travel records.
Gale In Context: Biography
Provides contextual information on the world's most influential people. Over 600,000 biographical entries cover a range of historically significant figures and present-day newsmakers.​
HeritageQuest
A comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids.  The database provides genealogical and historical sources for more than 60 countries, with coverage dating back as early as the 1700s. 

Boston Public Library Online Resources 

You will need a Boston Public Library e-card to access these resources. All Massachusetts residents are able to sign up for a BPL e-card for free.
Biography & Genealogy Master Index: Comprehensive index of current and historical biographical sources containing information on living and deceased individuals of prominence from all over the world.
Obituary Database: The Obituary Database is an index of obituaries that appeared in the Boston Evening Transcript (BET), Boston Globe (BG) and the Boston Herald/Herald American (BH). Currently, this database includes obituaries published between 1932 and 1941 and between 1953 and 2010.

Other Online Resources

American Memory Project: Library of Congress collection providing free access to historical images, maps, documents, and other resources.
FamilySearch: A nonprofit family history organization dedicated to connecting families across generations. No subscription needed to search collections.
Find a Grave: ​Find A Grave is the best place on the internet to look for burial and other final disposition information for your family, friends and famous people. The site provides tools that let people from all over the world work together, share information and build an online, virtual cemetery experience.
​Internet Archive Genealogy Collection: Digitized resources from libraries in the U.S., UK, and Canada include books on surname origins, vital statistics, parish records, census records, passenger lists of vessels, and other historical and biographical documents.
​National Archives Resources for Genealogists: Learn how you can use the resources at the National Archives to explore your family's ancestry.
​USA.gov Genealogy and Family History: Historical and government records can help you trace your heritage and build your family tree.
WorldGenWeb Project: A non-profit, volunteer based organization dedicated to providing genealogical and historical records and resources for world-wide access.