The History & Genealogy Department | Los Angeles Public Library

The History & Genealogy Department | Los Angeles Public Library
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Central Library
Located on Lower Level Four (LL4) of the Tom Bradley Wing:
Department Map
Phone: 213-228-7400 |
E-mail (form)
Department Staff
Ani Boyadjian, Department Manager |
213-228-7223
Christina Rice, Senior Librarian, Photo Collection |
213-228-7403
Materials & Collections
There are over 200,000 volumes in the history book collection with especially strong collections in biography, travel, wars involving the United States, the West, Native Americans, and Los Angeles area history.
The
California Index
, an online resource that may be accessed through the library website, indexes information about people, places, and events that have had a significant impact on life in Southern California. It is also a guide to the department's California Biography and Vertical Files, which include clippings from journal and newspaper articles, and various ephemera on subjects of local interest. Some of this content has been digitized and is available online through the California Index.
The
Genealogy Collection at Central Library
numbers more than 40,000 volumes, including more than than 10,000 genealogies. A family name index to the collection is available through the databases link on the library home page.
"The Clan of Tomkyns" by Robert Angus Tompkins is now available online as a PDF
.
The
Map Collection at Central Library
is one of the largest in American public libraries, with over 200,000 maps, 2,000 atlases, 1000 gazetters and over 1000 books supporting the study of maps and mapping.
The collection features United States Geological Survey topographic maps for the entire United States, nautical charts for domestic and international waters, historic street maps of Los Angeles dating back to 1849, historic street guides to 1925, and the Library of Congress collection of
Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlases
on microfilm and online covering the state of California.
The History Department has current subscriptions to
selected newspapers
published throughout California, along with a representative sampling of papers from other states. Newspapers published in languages in other than English are kept in the International Languages Department. For information on older issues of newspapers, please consult the library catalog's Periodical Holdings.
See
Los Angeles Area Newspapers by Decade
for a list of Los Angeles area newspapers by decade.
Photo Collection
The Library's
Photo Collection
focuses on the history of Los Angeles and dates from the 1850s to the present. Included are images from the historic Security Pacific National Bank Collection, Shades of L.A., and the photo morgues of the
Los Angeles Herald Examiner
and
Valley Times
newspapers. Over 116,000 photos are available online, along with instructions for ordering, and a list of reproduction and usage fees. The Shades of L.A. collection also features oral histories online.
Tours
Organized genealogical societies that would like to schedule tours should contact Julie Huffman at (213) 228-7413.
Services
Library staff can answer quick ready reference questions by telephone (213) 228-7400 or email. Staff cannot do genealogical research or obituary searches for patrons; however, a list of researchers for hire is available.
Research Guides
These guides have been prepared by History & Genealogy staff in order to assist you in conducting research on popular topics. A reference librarian can give you more detailed direction.
Census Tract Maps for Los Angeles County User's
Guide
Genealogy at Central Library
History of your House, Searching for the
Map Collection
Obituaries in Los Angeles County
Sanborn Maps
Vital Records
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