Genealogy Research
The Mount Prospect Public Library maintains a genealogy collection to assist you with family history research. This collection in the Harold Weary Genealogy Room includes books, periodicals, microfilm, microfiche, pamphlets, and online resources covering a variety of genealogical topics. It focuses primarily on the Village of Mount Prospect and the immediate northwest suburban area of Chicago but other parts of Illinois and the United States are also represented.
Click Here to view our Genealogy Databases
- Mount Prospect Public Library Biography File Index
- Mount Prospect Public Library Obituary Index
- Genealogical Periodicals in the Mount Prospect Public Library
- Illinois Digital Archives
- Genealogy books added to the Mount Prospect collection in 2019
Genealogy is well-represented on the Web. Listed below are links to some of the most well-respected and useful resources currently available.
General Resources
- Castle Garden Database (Hosted by the Battery Conservancy in New York)This database offers access to records of immigrants who entered the country through New York between 1830 and 1892.
- Cyndi’s List This is a list of more than 260,000 links to genealogical websites arranged by subject categories.
- Ellis Island Records This database offers access to records of immigrants who entered through Ellis Island in New York between 1892 and 1924.
- Family Search (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) This website is prepared by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons).It includes general genealogical search information, a family tree database, and a catalog to books and microfilmed records owned by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
- Rootsweb This is the oldest and largest free genealogy website that offers general research guides, specialized search engines and databases, message boards, mailing lists, and family trees.
- USGenWeb Project This is a free website run by volunteers working to provide free genealogy websites in every county and state in the United States. Each county page offers unique resources and information for researchers interested in that area.
Local Resources
Mount Prospect
- Prospect Day Newspaper archive
- Mount Prospect Historical Society
- Northwest Suburban Genealogy Society
- Illinois Digital Archives This website hosted by the Illinois State Library offers images and descriptions of historical items in libraries and museums across the state of Illinois. Mount Prospect’s history is represented by three collections. The items included in these collections are primarily from the collections of the Mount Prospect Historical Society and the Mount Prospect Public Library.
- Dimensions of Life in Mount Prospect
- Mount Prospect History
- Mount Prospect Library History
Chicago
Cook County
Illinois Resources
- Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library » Located in Springfield, this facility includes historical print and nonprint materials related to Abraham Lincoln’s life and to Illinois history in general.
- Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) » A division of the Illinois State Archives, this organization offers access to county records. These records are housed in seven locations throughout the state.
- Illinois State Archives
- Illinois State Genealogical Society
- Illinois State Library
National Resources
- Allen County Public Library— Genealogy Center
- National Archives and Records Administration
- National Genealogical Society
Ethnic Resources
- GENUKI – UK+Ireland Genealogy
- German Genealogy Home Page
- Hispanic Genealogical Society
- JewishGen (Jewish Genealogy)
- Polish Genealogical Society of America
Research Guides
These guides were prepared by the MPPL genealogy staff.
- A Genealogy Pathfinder A journey through your family history
- Genealogical Periodicals at MPPL An alphabetical list of the magazines and newsletters in the genealogy collection of the Mount Prospect Public Library
- Grow Your Family Tree Online Selected genealogy websites
- Harold Weary Genealogy Room
- Microfiche Available at MPPL Genealogical research microfiche in the Mount Prospect Public Library
- Norwegian-American Genealogy Materials in the Mount Prospect Public Library
- Polish Genealogical Resources in MPPL
- A Touch of the Green Resources for Irish genealogical research in the Mount Prospect Public Library