Quick Search
People & History
image from Berkeley History Photo Archives, South Branch Summer Reading, 1964
From historical figures to local heroes, get to know them here.
Ancestry
The world's largest family history community shares its research, photos, stories and notes. Find city directories; birth, marriage and death records; immigration and travel records, and much more.
Archives Unbound
Topically-focused digital collections of historical documents that support the research and study needs of scholars, researchers, and students at the college and university level. Collections cover a broad range of topics from the Middle Ages forward-from Witchcraft to World War II to 20th-century political history.
Berkeley Barb
Find the digital archive of the Berkeley Barb, a weekly counterculture newspaper. Scanned issues from Aug 13, 1965 - April 24, 1980. The Barb mixed radical politics with psychedelic art, guerrilla comics, local happenings, opinions, reviews, advice, personal ads, and frequent calls to protest.
Berkeley History Photo Archive
Access annotated and digitized historical photos, images and maps from our Berkeley History Room.
Berkeley Obituaries
The Berkeley Obituary Index is an index to death stories and obituaries of Berkeleyeans, both famous and not, contained in the Berkeley Daily Gazette. Currently available years: 1894-1912, 1920, 1923, 1925, 1930-1942, 1951, 1955, 1959-1965, 1967, 1970-1971, 1977-1980 & 1982. Call the Reference Desk at 510-981-6148 for more information.
Britannica Library
Britannica is a dynamic, continuously updated, rigorously fact-checked information source for students, teachers, and lifelong learners.
Biography in Context
Research more than 5500 famous people from the past and present. Find images, audio files, excerpts from primary sources such as newspapers and speeches, and other resources.
Calisphere
Photographs, documents, newspaper pages, political cartoons, works of art, diaries, transcribed oral histories, advertising, and other unique cultural artifacts — reveal the diverse history and culture of California and its role in national and world history.
Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)
Features collection highlights from libraries, archives and museums across the United States, including photographs, text, and primary sources.
Global Road Warrior
Features information about 175 countries, including culture, history, language and travel. Great for school reports and cultural exploration.
Literature Resource Center
Find biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of novelists, poets, essayists, and journalists from every age and literary discipline.
MyHeritage Library Edition
Public records and genealogy tools with an emphasis on newspapers, local history, books and directories. More than 5 billion historical records from all over the world.
National Geographic
A complete archive of National Geographic magazine from 1888 to the present day, along with a cross-searchable collection of National Geographic books, maps, images and videos.