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Public Library

Genealogy Collection

Image of the spines of five genealogy research books
SDPL’s Genealogy Collection consists of over 10,000 book, a thousand periodical titles, as well as electronic access to databases such as Ancestory.com, and microfilm access to the obituaries of the San Diego Union dating back to 1865. Patrons can research families by geographic locations, family names, or a more topic-specific search; such as heraldry, transport registries, regional histories, and census records.

Begin Your Search

ProQuest Ancestry Library Edition button graphic
Library patrons have free use of the library’s subscription to Ancestry.com (Accessible only at SDPL locations).
Gale Biography and Genealogy Master Index graphic
Indexes biographical listings in print dictionaries and encyclopedias covering millions of individuals, both living and deceased.
Obituary Search button graphic
All requests for an obituary search must be submitted via email to: speccoll@sandiego.gov. (More details)