Online History and Genealogy Resources

Genealogy

Ancestry

Public records and genealogy tools for the family historian. Emphasis on immigrant lists, passenger lists, and other public documents. Can only be accessed from within the Alameda Free Library.

Newsbank-Heritage Hub

Explore your family history with this collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth genealogical research from 1704 - today.

Newspapers

Alameda Newspapers Collection

Full text access to six Alameda newspapers including Alameda Times Star (1877-1966) and Daily Encinal (1869-1908). Can only be accessed from within the Alameda Free Library.

California Digital Newspaper Collection

Free repository of digitized California newspapers starting at 1846. Includes access to early Alameda newspapers starting at 1869.

Newsbank- Access World News

Full text access to the San Francisco Chronicle (1985-), East Bay Times (2016-), Alameda Times Star (2001-2016), Alameda Journal (2001-) and hundreds of newspapers throughout the United States.

Local History

Alameda Japanese American History Project

A collaboration between the Alameda Free Library, Buena Vista United Methodist Church, the Buddhist Temple of Alameda, Densho, the Internet Archive, and Rhythmix Cultural Works to document and preserve the history of the Japanese Americans of Alameda who lived through the era of forced removal, incarceration and post-war return.

Alameda Oral Histories

Calisphere hosts two collections of video interviews with citizens of Alameda, capturing their perspectives on a variety of local topics.

Digital Stories: Alameda's Japanese American History

The Alameda Free Library received a grant from the California State Library to help local Japanese American citizens tell a story of personal importance to them, that would also illuminate a piece of Alameda history.

Maps

Sanborn maps of Alameda

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps are some of the most detailed historical maps available from their time. The1897 and 1948 editions for Alameda are online at the Library of Congress.

Yearbooks

Alameda high school yearbooks

Alameda high school yearbooks digitized by the Alameda Free Library in partnership with California Revealed. Includes Alameda High, Encinal High and Saint Joseph Notre Dame.