Local History & Genealogy

Ancestry Library Edition

"provides patrons with instant access to a wide range of unique resources for genealogical and historical research. With more than 1.5 billion names in over 4,000 databases, Ancestry Library Edition includes records from the United States Census; military records; court, land and probate records; vital and church records; directories; passenger lists and more! These collections are continuously expanding, with new content added every business day."
This database can only be used inside the SCPL Main Library.

Heritage Quest

is a resource for census data, family records, and local histories. This collection assembles every extant U.S. federal census, family genealogies, local histories, tax lists, city directories, land and probate records, birth, marriage and death records, genealogical and local history serials, and more.
SCPL users may access this database remotely from their home computer by Clicking Here and entering their library card number (with no spaces).

For searching and browsing American newspapers published from 1690 – 1922, America’s Historical Newspapers is the most comprehensive online database available.  It offers searchable digital facsimiles of thousands of newspapers from all 50 states.  With eyewitness reporting, editorials, letters, advertisements, obituaries and much more, this collection uniquely chronicles the evolution of American culture and daily life. 

The Starke County Public Library System is pleased to offer another new database for your genealogical research – American Ancestors, a database hosted by the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), the oldest and largest genealogical society in the United States, founded in 1845. Its mission is to “collect, preserve, and interpret materials to document and make accessible the histories of families in America.” NEHGS maintains a large web site with more than 100 million names in its databases, the largest such online collection of any genealogical society. It includes vital records, compiled genealogies, and a suite of scholarly journals, such as The New England Historical and Genealogical Register and The American Genealogist, the leading independent journal in American genealogy.
This database can only be used inside the Library.