Finding Your Ancestors Using The Newberry Collections

The Newberry Library is widely known among professional historians, but many genealogists are unaware of how much usable family history material is available online. While not a traditional genealogy database, The Newberry’s digital collections contain maps, manuscripts, local histories, family papers, and specialized research materials that often include names, places, and relationships.

For genealogists, The Newberry functions as a high-level discovery and context destination, especially for:

• Midwestern research
• migration studies
• ethnic and immigrant communities
• early American settlement
• historical cartography

This Quicksheet focuses on how genealogists can use what’s available online, not on in-person research.

Download the Quicksheet PDF

To obtain a two-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