Welcome to BPL's Genealogy Resources

What's Here?

This site has been designed to give easy topic or resource access to the researcher.

Core Genealogy Topics - On the right you will see a listing of the most important resources for Canadian genealogy research, such as birth, marriage and death records, census data and land and property information.

More Genealogy Topics - In addition to the "Core" topics, researchers may find further information by using additional resources such as maps, newspapers, military records and municipal records.

As a real boon for our genealogists, BPL subscribes to the Ancestry Library Edition genealogy database, available to anyone at any public PC at all BPL locations. Go to Internet Databases - Genealogy.

Core Topics

Births - Marriages - Deaths (Vital Statistics)

Canadian Census

Cemetery Records & Obituaries

Church Records

Immigration Records

Land & Property Records

Wills & Estates

On the left, the navigation will give you an idea of what this site is about. Two topics are particularly worth noting. If you are just starting genealogy research click on Starting Genealogy and you will find links to excellent online and print guides on how to get started in family history research.

If you are searching for family history in the City of Burlington and Halton County you will find a wealth of information by clicking on Burlington & Halton Local History Resources, under Local History (see left).

Each genealogy topic is organized in much the same way:

Ancestry Library Edition - as applicable
Links to recommended websites
Library catalogue links to book and microfilm resources available at BPL

We hope you find this site a useful resource and pathfinder as you venture further into genealogy or take your first steps as a beginner.

Requesting Genealogy Materials Through Interlibrary Loan

Microfilm may be requested from Library and Archives Canada and Archives of Ontario using BPL's Interlibrary Loan service. Other provincial archives have their own lending policies; some will lend microfilm; some will not. Microfilm may be requested at the Information Desk at any BPL location. Three (3) microfilms may be requested from any one lending source.

Books and print materials may also be requested, however, lending locations reserve the right to decide whether to lend items or not, and many libraries or archives will not lend their valuable and oftentimes irreplaceable local history materials. That being said, we are quite often successful in obtaining genealogy resources.

Microfilm and books from outside Canada may or may not be available. Customers may contact lending sources to determine whether they will lend and provide our Interlibrary Loan Department with contact information.

Local Family History Centers (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Family History Centers are branch facilities of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Centers provide access to most of the microfilms and microfiche in the Family History Library to help patrons identify their ancestors. Everyone is welcome to come to the centers and use Family History Center resources.

There are Centers in both Burlington and Hamilton:

Burlington
2366 Headon Rd
Phone: 905-335-4733
Hours: T 6pm-9pm; Th 9am-12pm; other times by appointment

Hamilton
701 Stonechurch Rd East
Phone: 905-385-5009
Hours: T,W 10am-4pm & 6:30pm-9:30pm; Sat 9am-12pm.

Research Databases For Genealogists

	The Ancestry Library Edition database is available to an unlimited number of BPL customers from any library computer at Central Library or BPL branch location. Go to Internet Databases - Genealogy.

	Access over 150 years of history with Canada's Heritage from 1844 - the online digitized full-image version of the complete works of The Globe and Mail newspaper since its inception as The Globe in 1844. Go to Internet Databases - Genealogy.

	Includes every page of every Toronto Star newspaper over the years - the editorial and opinion articles, business pages, photos, advertisements, classified ads, political cartoons, obituaries, birth and marriage notices. Go to Internet Databases - Genealogy.

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