Biographical, Historical and Family History
Ancestry Library Edition
Masses of information for family history researchers, including census records, births, marriages and deaths and much more.
This resource is only available by visiting one of our libraries.
The British Newspaper Archive
Access the British Library's vast collection of digitised historic newspapers from all over Britain and Ireland.
Please note: you will need to create or sign in to a personal British Newspaper Archive account in order to view the publications.
Find my past
Family history records, news and tutorials from the Find My Past Worldwide Edition.
Includes unlimited free access to the 1921 Census.
IWM Lives of the First World War
Creating and sharing the life stories of more than 8 million men and women who served in uniform and worked on the home front during the First World War.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Biographies of over 60,000 people who have shaped the history and culture of the British Isles, from Roman times to the 21st century.
The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland
The ultimate reference work on family names of the UK covering English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Cornish and immigrant surnames.
The Times Digital Archive
Full contents of The Times newspaper from 1785 to 2019.
Who's Who and Who was Who
From 1849 right up to this year - the noteworthy and influential people who have impacted British life.
Your Family Tree
Free access to special subject guides.
Yoko Sato: Quick Family Tree
This is an app that allows you to make family trees without having to create an account. There are no paid services within the app either. You can easily add parents, children, and spouses just by tapping.
Download the app on an apple device
Download the app on an android device
BFI Replay
60 years of screen history from the British Film Institute. This can be accessed from the computers in the library. Find out more