All Library locations remain closed to limit the spread of COVID-19. Many locations are offering curbside services up to 5 days per week, and some are accepting returns daily. Find locations and hours for curbside services and returns at www.spl.org/Curbside.
Explore your family history with our free online genealogy tools or make an appointment with a genealogy librarian for free assistance.
Online Genealogy Resources
America’s GenealogyBank
Access nearly 249 million U.S. genealogical records from 1690 to the present, including obituaries, marriage and birth announcements, military records and other government documents.
Ancestry Library Edition
Interested in genealogy? We partnered with Ancestry.com to help you search billions of historical documents, photos, oral histories and more, from the 1500s to the present. Remote access is through June 30, 2021.
Digital Sanborn Maps 1867-1970
Explore thousands of detailed maps charting the growth and development of Seattle, other Puget Sound communities and more than 12,000 cities and towns across the United States.
FamilySearch
Search the Family History Library catalog as well as digitized records, which include over 2 million rolls of microform and hundreds of thousands of books and maps related to family history and genealogical research. Account registration required.
HeritageQuest Online
Explore these searchable and printable genealogy resources, including local and family histories, research guides and the complete U.S. Federal Census, 1790-1940. Powered by Ancestry.
New York Times Historical
Curious about the past? Find full-text and full-image content from The New York Times, including articles, headlines, ads, obituaries and more. Contains full-text and images in PDF format of the New York Times from 1851 to three years before current year.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (1901 - Current)
Search fully digitized editions of The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and download and print full-text articles. Depending on the issue date, different formats of articles may be available. A partial run of the The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (1901-1935) was purchased with a generous grant from The Seattle Public Library Foundation; however, the full run is currently available until further notice.
Seattle Times (1895- Current)
Search fully digitized editions of The Seattle Times, and download and print full-text articles. Depending on the issue date, different formats of articles may be available. The Seattle Times Historical Archive (1895-1984) is made possible through a generous grant from The Seattle Public Library Foundation.