The Aurora Public Library District (APLD) has several new resources available related to history and genealogy. Are you getting started with your family history or searching for a local newspaper article from 2002? Look no further! Visit the Library to get started or gain access to our databases remotely with your APLD Library card.
Beginning September 13, APLD will offer Genealogy Walk-In Assistance at all three locations during the second week of each month. Our expert volunteers, Diane and Maxine Liesigner, have many years of experience conducting genealogy research and can help you explore your family history. Visit Santori Library the second Monday of the month, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., West Branch, monthly on Tuesdays, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., or Eola Road Branch, monthly on Thursdays, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. One-on-one assistance is available on a drop-in basis and no appointments are required. Find specific dates and more information at aurorapubliclibrary.org/events.
Genealogy & community history librarian Cailín Cullen said, “We are so excited to offer this service once again at the Library. Diane and Maxine are very knowledgeable and have a lot of expertise to share with the community. Genealogy research can be both thrilling and frustrating, so we’re here to help people who encounter those inevitable brick walls, or who just want to get started.”
The Library recently has acquired three new databases and expanded access to the Beacon News collection. APLD cardholders have access to the Beacon-News online, 1997-today. Read today’s paper or search for that long-lost article about your high-school football team. Are you looking for an obituary? Find it in the Beacon News collection if it’s local, or check out HeritageHub for genealogy research beyond the Fox Valley.
HeritageHub is a collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices from 1704 to today. This database helps to easily identify relatives and potentially unknown family members. It includes deep coverage from all 50 states, hard-to-find content from the mid-20th Century, and original obituary images.
New to the Library are Black Life in America and Chicago Community Collection. Black Life in America is an online, searchable collection of newspaper articles documenting the experience and impact of African Americans.It includes both national and international papers and can serve as great primary source material for students conducting research projects on related topics!
The Chicago Community Collection provides access to more than 250 newspapers in the Chicagoland area, including The Naperville Sun, the Batavia Republican, and Kane County Chronicle. Available dates differ from paper to paper, but most have availability after 1995.
Access to all four databases is available remotely 24/7 with your APLD Library cardor on-site at any of our locations.
Local newspapers prior to 1997 are available on microfilm, housed in the Wegman Local History Room at Santori Library. To view the microfilm collection, please make an appointment at aurorapubliclibrary.org/local-history or see a librarian for assistance.