Biography & History

AncestryLibrary is a popular genealogy research database offering access to obituaries, census records, vital records, city directories, and much more. Use either the Firefox or Chrome browser. Ancestry is no longer supported in Internet Explorer. Remote access unavailable.

You can access AncestryLibrary through CRRL’s wifi through your own device. The wifi range has been extended to cover library parking lots, making CRRL's wifi accessible outside of our libraries even while buildings are closed to visitors.

Learn how to use AncestryLibrary through this tutorial on Niche Academy.

ProQuest's new Black Freedom Struggle website, opens a new window features expertly selected open primary source documents. Visitors will find historical newspaper articles, pamphlets, diaries, correspondence and more from specific time periods in U.S. history marked by the opposition African Americans have faced on the road to freedom. This resource supports a wide range of students, from middle and high school to college, as well independent researchers and anyone interested in learning more about the ongoing Black Freedom Struggle. Available remotely.

The content is curated around six time periods:

1. Resistance to Slavery and the Abolitionist Movement (1790-1860)
2. The Civil War and the Reconstruction Era (1861-1877)
3. Jim Crow Era from 1878 to the Great Depression (1878-1932)
4. The New Deal and World War II (1933-1945)
5. The Civil Rights and Black Power Movements (1946-1975)
6. The Contemporary Era (1976-2000)

Sources within the Young Adult and Reference Section include: Articles, Images and Videos, Biographies, Science in Pictures, Compare Countries, World Atlas, Recommended Primary Sources, and News of the Day. 

Check out the Research Tools and Materials section, located on the horizontal menu bar, for help with planning and conducting research, writing book reviews, creating oral presentations, writing research papers, and setting down a science report. Available remotely.

Learn how to use Britannica Library through this tutorial on Niche Academy. 

EBSCO’s Explora Public Libraries is a user-friendly search tool that supports both research and instruction, and searches a comprehensive collection of full-text general interest articles from periodicals, newspapers, and books. This authoritative general information database is the best place to start your research project. Provided by Find it Virginia. Available remotely.

Search for people by name, birth or death year, nationality, ethnicity, occupation, or gender. Available remotely.

Academic journal articles covering most disciplines, including arts, history, humanities, science, medicine, and law. Available remotely.

Learn how to use JSTOR through this tutorial on Niche Academy.