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Genealogy: Library Research Guide


The UCSB Libraries’ collections contain many resources of value to family history researchers. Unlike public libraries and genealogical society collections, we do not keep these materials in a special room. You will have the most success if you use the catalog, Pegasus, to search the collection. Use the Library Location guide to find the locations of call numbers.

Items noted with [UCSB!] are available for use on UCSB campus computers. UCSB faculty, staff, and students may have off-campus access via the proxy server. This guide offers many tips for your research.

Special Collections (3rd Floor)
The William Wyles collection is a major Civil War collection that also includes books about the development of the West. Consult the Civil War subject guide for more information. Some other collections (Pearl Chase, Santa Barbara) may be of interest.

Map and Imagery Collection (1st Floor North)
Collection of historical US maps (especially for colonial US) may be useful in identifying historic sites.

Books

Pegasus: catalog of the UCSB Libraries
MELVYL: catalog of all UC Libraries

Sample subject and keyword searches (remove dashes before searching)

By Location:
California--Biography--Indexes
California--Genealogy
Lancaster County Pa. -- Genealogy
Stephenson County Ill. -- History
United States -- Genealogy -- Bibliography
United States -- Emigration and immigration
Freeport ILL Periodicals
By Source:
Military pensions
United States Revolution
Registers of births, etc. -- Pennsylvania
Registers of births, etc -- United States
Ships -- Passenger lists
By Name:
Crocker Family
Lewis Family
Kennedy Family
Sullivan Family
By Ethnic Group:
African Americans – Genealogy
Asian Americans – Genealogy
Chinese Americans -- Genealogy
Mexican Americans--California—Genealogy

Call Numbers to Browse

We use the Library of Congress Classification system. If you like to browse the shelves, try these areas:

CS
CS68
CS2300
E184
E186-E199
E465-E655
F1-F975
Z1250
Z5311
Family Names
Passenger Lists
Family histories
Immigration groups
Colonial
Civil War
History of the States
Local history bibliographies
Family History bibliographies
4th Floor South
4th Floor South
4th Floor South
4th Floor South
4th Floor South
4th Floor South
4th Floor South
2nd Floor Central
2nd Floor Central
Guides to Genealogical Research

(To find more titles like these, use the online catalog, Pegasus)

*  Dictionary of genealogy. Terrick V.H. FitzHugh. Reference CS6 .F58 1998
*  Evidence! : citation & analysis for the family historian. Elizabeth Shown Mills. Special Collections CS16 .M63 1997
*  Genealogical research at the Library of Congress. Government Information Center, U.S. -- LC 1.2:G 28/2001
*  The genealogist's handbook: modern methods for researching family history. Raymond S. Wright, III. Chicago: American Library Association, 1995. CS9 .W74 1995 & Special Coll., Reading Room CS9 .W74 1995
*  Genealogy basics online: a step-by-step introduction to finding your ancestors through the Internet. Cherri Melton Flinn. Cincinnati, Ohio: Muska and Lipman Publishing, 2000. (keyword search: genealogy) [UCSB!]
* Genealogy online. Elizabeth Powell Crowe. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2001.(keyword search: genealogy) [UCSB!]
* Librarian's genealogy notebook: a guide to resources. Dahrl Elizabeth Moore. Chicago: American Library Association, 1998.(keyword search: genealogy) [UCSB!]
* Oxford companion to local and family history. Edited by David Hey. New York: Oxford University Press. Reference CS9 .O94 1996
*  Using maps in genealogy. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, [2002]
*  Where to write for vital records. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Washington, D.C. Government Information Center, U.S. HE 20.6210/2
Newspapers
Use Pegasus to search the library’s collection, which contains current and historical newspapers. Genealogists may be especially interested in the following titles available online:
*  African American Newspapers: 1827-1876 [UCSB!]
*  America's Newspapers: full text access to 269 newspapers, including 47 California titles [UCSB!]
*  Civil War: A Newspaper Perspective: 1860-1865 [UCSB!]
*  Godey's Ladys Book:1830-1880 [UCSB!]
*  HarpWeek: 1857 to 1912 [UCSB!]
*  Los Angeles Times: 1881-present [UCSB!]
*  New York Times: 1851-present [UCSB!]
*  Pennsylvania Newspaper Record: Delaware County: 1819-1870 [UCSB!]
*  Pennsylvania Genealogical Catalogue: Chester County: 1809-1870 [UCSB!]
*  Times (London): 1785-1870 [UCSB!]
*  Wall Street Journal: 1889-present [UCSB!]
City Directories
*  Guide to this collection is located in the microfilm area: Z 5771.2 .C58 1984
*  City directories of the United States through 1860. Microfiche E 154.5 .C5 & Microfilm E154.5 .A2
*  City directories of the United States. Santa Barbara 1886-1960. Microfilm E 154.5 .C48
Census Records
*  The Library has the schedules for California from 1850 – 1930.
*  We also own schedules for Georgia, 1850 - 1870, Kentucky, 1870 - 1880; New York, 1810 - 1830; Ohio, 1820 - 1830; Pennsylvania, 1810 - 1830; and Virginia, 1810 – 1830.
*  The schedules are on microfilm in the Government Information Center. To access the appropriate reel, find the county in the following finding aids (do a geographic search to find the reel number):
Federal population censuses, 1790-1890 GS 4.2: P 81/2/ 790-890
1900 federal population census GS 4.2: P 81/2/900
1910 federal population census GS 4.2: P 81/2/910
1920 federal population census AE 1.102:P 81/2X/998
1930 federal population census <http://1930census.archives.gov/>

California Resources
*  California Biographical Dictionary: People of All Times and Places Who Have Been Important to the History and Life of the State. 2nd ed. New York: Somerset, 1994. Reference CT225.C35 1994
*  California county and regional histories. New Haven, Conn.: Research Publications, Microfilm Area F856 .C25
*  California early records, 1834: Santa Barbara County. Editor, Ronald Vern Jackson. South Jordan, Utah: Genealogical Services, 2002. Special Collections F868.S23 C34 2002
*  California Pioneer Register and Index, 1542-1848. Including Inhabitants of California, 1769-1800, and List of Pioneers. Bancroft, Hubert Howe. Baltimore, Regional Pub. Co., 1964. F860 .B3, and Special Coll., Wyles Collection F860 .B3, and Coleccion Tloque Nahuaque F860 .B3
*  Spanish-Mexican families of early California, 1769-1850.Northrop, Marie E. 1st ed. Burbank, Calif.: Southern California Genealogical Society, 1976-1984. 2 v. Ethnic Gender Studies Reference F860 .N67
*  Index to the Biographies in 19th Century California County Histories. Parker, J. Carlyle. Detroit: Gale Research Co., c1979. Z5313.U6 C36
Miscellaneous Collections
For descriptions of online resources, see: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/eresources/epubs/primary.html
*  American Civil War: Letters and Diaries[UCSB!]

*  Draper manuscript collection. Microfilm Area E151 .W5. See also
*  Guide to the Draper manuscripts. Josephine L. Harper. Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1983. Microfilm Area Z6616.D72 H37 1983 
*  Calendar of the Tennessee and King's mountain papers of the Draper collection of manuscripts. Madison, The Society, 1929. Microfilm Area E151 .W48
*  Calendar of the Kentucky papers of the Draper collection of manuscripts. Madison, The Society, 1925. Microfilm Area E151 .W47
*  Preston and Virginia papers of the Draper collection of manuscripts. Madison, The Society, 1915. Microfilm Area E151 .W495
*  Colonial records of Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, Printed by T. Fenn & co., 1851-53. F146 .P39 v.1-16 (use the guide: Index to Pennsylvania's colonial records series. compiled by Mary Dunn, Baltimore, Md. : Genealogical Pub. Co., c1992 F146.C622 D86 1992) 
*  Emigrants to Pennsylvania, 1641-1819. Michael Tepper. Baltimore, Genealogical Pub. Co., 1975.
F148 .E5 1975 
*  Maryland revolutionary records. Compiled by Harry Wright Newman. Washington, 1938. F185 .N4
*  North American Women's Letters and Diaries .   [UCSB!]
*  Online Archive of California, California Heritage Collection and Japanese American Relocation Digital Archive
*  Public records of the colony of Connecticut [1636-1776]. Hartford, Press of the Case, Lockwood & Brainard company [etc.] 1850-90. F97 .C62 v. 1-15
*  Tracing your ancestors in the Public Record Office. Jane Cox and Timothy Padfield. CS410.7 .C68 1984. The library has a collection of publications from the British Public Record Office. Includes taxation records and a Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem. This is a large, complex collection with many series, so start with the guide to the collection.
*  Victoria History of the Counties of England series. Most are found in the DA 670 call number range.
*  Virginia colonial abstracts. Beverley Fleet. Baltimore, Genealogical Pub. Co., 1961. F225 .F5 v.1-34

Local Libraries
LDS Family History Center
2107 Santa Barbara Street
Santa Barbara, CA
805-682-2092
< http://www.familysearch.org/>
Santa Barbara Public Library
40 East Anapamu Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 564-5604
< http://ci.santa-barbara.ca.us/library/>
Santa Barbara Historical Society
136 East De La Guerra St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805-966-1601
< http://santabarbaramuseum.com/home/>
Santa Barbara County Genealogy Society
Sahyun Library
316 Castillo Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805-884-9909
mailing address: P.O. Box 1303
Goleta, CA 93116-1303
<http://www.cagenweb.com/santabarbara/sbcgs/>
 
on this page
*  Books
*  Call Numbers
*  Guides to Research
*  Newspapers
*  City Directories
*  Census Records
*  California Resources
*  Misc. Collections
*  Local Libraries
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Last Updated: 07/26/06 03:57:55