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(This page's most recent update is December 2025)
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The Digital Library of Appalachia (DLA) is a free, regionally focused digital repository that brings together primary-source materials from Appalachia into one searchable website. While it is not a genealogy database in the traditional sense, it contains a wide variety of digitized materials that can directly support family history research—especially for families who lived in or passed through the Appalachian region.
The DLA is particularly valuable for:
- locating community-based records rarely digitized elsewhere
- finding local names, places, and families in photographs and documents
- discovering church, school, occupational, and cultural materials
- providing historical context for Appalachian ancestors
This Quicksheet explains how the DLA works, how to search it effectively, and where genealogists are most likely to find usable clues.
Download the Quicksheet PDF
To obtain a four-page Quicksheet PDF of the information, download it by clicking on the Download button below:
For all the previously published Quick Reference Guides, click on QuickSheets.
Genealogy QuickSheets – Frequently Asked Questions
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- Beyond the Search Engine: Using Google Databases for Genealogy Research
- 64 Genealogy Items to Collect from Your Home
- United States Genealogical and Historical Societies
- 24 Places Where You Can Find Your Ancestors Occupation
- 13 Types of Genealogical Information You Can Find in Old Yearbooks
- 16 Places Where You Can Find Genealogy and Family History Books
- Easy Cousin Relationship Chart