Local History & Genealogy

Discover your family's history through a collection of resources documenting our past: census records, military records, vital records and passenger lists help to tell your family's story. Genealogical information and records from North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and more.

Watch our Ancestry Library tutorial, opens a new window to learn more about this resource.

In-library access only.

A large collection of scanned early Canadian print materials, including complete ebooks. Some resources are only accessible inside the library.

The world's largest family tree. See what others have contributed regarding your ancestors, and access a large database of genealogical resources.

Watch the Family Search tutorial, opens a new window for more information about this resource.

Spanning the years 1844 to 2020, the archive has searchable first-hand accounts and coverage of events and people in Canadian history.

See Oshawa as it was, and the people of Oshawa as they lived, throughout the history of the city. This photo archive recalls earlier eras in the streets and neighbourhoods we know today.

The Oshawa Public Libraries has a growing collection of digitized materials hosted on the Internet Archive, including books, newsletters, directories, and more. These are keyword searchable and free to download.

Search Oshawa Public Libraries' collection of obituaries and articles from newspapers of the past. Physical copies of articles and obituaries listed are available in microform at the McLaughlin Branch.