LibGuides: Genealogy and Local History Resources: Electronic Resources Available via the Library

Library E-Resources

These resources can be accessed via the library web site or on the selected resources computers in the Main Library if you are not affiliated with MSU.

Find E-Resources
Search MSU Library databases, newspapers, and useful websites.

Ancestry Library Edition This link opens in a new window
This special version of Ancestry.com provides census information, birth, marriage, and death records including the Social Security Death Index, and much more. This is where you are going to want to start your research.
MyHeritage Library Edition This link opens in a new window
MyHeritage Library Edition is one of the largest, most internationally diverse genealogy databases of its kind. Libraries that offer MyHeritage Library Edition provide their patrons with access to billions of historical documents, millions of historical photos and other resources in thousands of databases that span the past five centuries. Remote access and a mobile-friendly interface make it the most convenient genealogy product for libraries and institutions.

Michigan County Histories
The Michigan County Histories and Atlases Digitization Project is comprised of 428 digitized titles (many composed of multiple volumes) published before 1923. This is a public resource and can be accessed from any computer.
Finding maps in the Michigan County Histories online collection
Tutorial for finding and using maps in the Michigan County Histories online collection.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Michigan
The Sanborn Map Company worked from the 1870's to the 1970's to create very large scale maps of thousands of towns in America. They show hard-to-find information about the history of cities and towns.
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They don't say who owned plots of land (like plat books do for farmland) but they do show all the buildings, their addresses, and in commercial areas the type of business establishment in each building.
The Making of Modern Michigan: Digitizing Michigan's Hidden Past
It includes local history materials from communities around the state. Michigan's unique heritage is represented through photographs, family papers, oral histories, genealogical materials, and much more. It is fun to browse through the collection!
New York Times (1851-2017)
Do you have any New York ancestors? If so, check out this newspaper.
Additional Newspapers
You can find additional newspapers from across the globe including Times of London.
Subject Search on History
There are many area specific resources including Ireland, England, Michigan, and Canada and time specific resources including the Civil War, Eighteenth-Century Life, and America in the 1930s.