The Ancestor Hunt has been cataloging and listing links to free online genealogy collections in over 24 different record categories since 2014. These are available for you to view and use via the Resources tab above.
There is a massive amount of genealogy and historical material that can help us researchers as we discover who belongs in our family tree, and more importantly, what is their life story. But much of this genealogical and historical material doesn’t fit nicely into a specific genealogy record category.
As researchers, we should avail ourselves of the types of materials listed below. They definitely will help us in our genealogy and family history research These online resources are available generally at state libraries and archives, larger public libraries, and college and university digital collections. Hence the creation of these lists of links to free online digital archives for the state. I hope they prove useful to you in your pursuit.
Types of Information Available in Digital Archives
- Scrapbooks
- Diaries
- Family Papers, Biographies, and Other Collections
- Letters
- Oral Histories
- Maps
- Bulletins and Newsletters
- Corporate Collections
- Local Community and County Histories
- Photographs and Postcards
- Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Government Publications and Documents
- and Yes, Genealogy Record Collections and Indexes
(Updated November 2023)
The Free Online Digital Archives for the state are listed below, preceded by Archives that are available for the region or the country:
Multistate Archives
- A Digital Collection Celebrating the Founding of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU)
- Digital Commons Collections
- Digital Library of Appalachia
- Digital Public Library of America
- Documenting the American South
- Library of Congress Digital Collections
- National Archives Online Exhibits
- PastPerfectOnline Collections
- Smithsonian Digital Library
Louisiana Archives
- A Digital Collection Celebrating the Founding of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU)
- Access Genealogy – Louisiana
- Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
- American History & Genealogy Project – Louisiana
- Ancestry Free Index Collections
- Baton Rouge Digital Collections
- Centenary College of Louisiana Digital Collections
- Chronicling America – Louisiana
- Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database
- Cyndi’s List – Louisiana
- David Rumsey’s Historical Maps
- Dead Fred
- Death Indexes – Louisiana
- Digital Commons Collections
- Digital Library of Appalachia
- Digital Public Library of America – Louisiana
- Dillard University Digital Collections
- Documenting the American South
- FamilySearch
- FamilySearch – Louisiana Online Genealogy Records
- FamilySearch Catalog
- FamilySearch Wiki – Louisiana
- FindAGrave
- Freedmen’s Bureau Online – Louisiana
- Genealogy Trails – Louisiana
- Google Books – Louisiana
- HathiTrust – Louisiana
- Historic New Orleans Collection
- I Dream of Genealogy
- Interment.net – Louisiana
- Internet Archive – Louisiana
- LDMA (Louisiana Digital Media Archive)
- LDS Genealogy – Louisiana
- Library of Congress Digital Collections
- Linkpendium – Louisiana
- Louisiana Digital Library
- Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society
- Louisiana Historical Society – Resources
- Louisiana State Archives
- Louisiana State University – Alexandria Digital Collections
- Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge Digital Collections
- Louisiana Tech University Digital Collections
- Loyola University New Orleans Digital Collections
- LSU Digital Collections
- McNeese State University Digital Collections
- National Archives and Records Administration
- National Archives at Fort Worth
- National Archives Online Exhibits
- National Archives Resources for Genealogists
- Nationwide Gravesite Locator
- New Horizons Genealogy – Louisiana
- New Orleans Public Library
- Nicholls State University Digital Collections
- PastPerfectOnline Collections
- Resources for Research in New Orleans
- RootsWeb.com
- Sanborn Maps – Louisiana
- Smithsonian Digital Library
- Southeastern Louisiana University Digital Collections
- State Library of Louisiana
- The Official Land Records Site
- Tulane University Digital Collections
- University of Louisiana – Lafayette Digital Collections
- University of Louisiana – Monroe Digital Collections
- University of New Orleans Digital Collections
- US GenWeb – Louisiana
- US GenWeb Archives – Louisiana
- Xavier University of Louisiana Digital Collections
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!