Research Location - Torrance Public Library

The Torrance Public Library has several locations in the City of Torrance. The main library, also known as the Katy Geissert Civic Center Library, is located at 3301 Torrance Boulevard.  Hours are Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. During the school year (September to June), the library is also open most Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Their telephone number is (310) 618-5959; click here for their website.

The Torrance Public Library has microfilm for the following newspapers:

·        Daily Breeze (the local paper) – 1976 to present

·        Los Angeles Times – 1966 to present

·        New York  Times – 1961-1999

·        Washington Post – 1988-1999

In addition, you can search the Historical Newspapers Index of the Torrance Herald and the Torrance Press (1913-1969) and Historic City and Phone Directories (1922-1975) here.

The library also offers an obituary request service through their website. Click here for additional information.

Of particular interest to genealogists is the collection of the South Bay Cities Genealogical Society which is housed in a dedicated area on the lower level of the library. The collection contains many books of interest and there is an extensive periodical collection representing almost every state and some foreign countries as well. The society has volunteers on hand in the library on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the third Wednesday of the month from 5:30 to 7 p.m. A partial list of the periodicals held can be found on the society’s website. The society holds its general membership meetings in the library’s community room on the third Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Research Location - Georgina Cole Library - Part 2

If you personally visit the library you must sign in at the Genealogy Reference desk to use research collection. 

The Library has a circulating collection of genealogy books. The Genealogy collection has an extensive local history collection from all over the United States.  They also have some specific family histories, see  online catalog for details.  The library provides researchers with a call number guide which lists the call numbers for each state.  Do not overlook the microfiche and microforms collection. 

To find non-circulating items in the collection, search the Carlsbad City Library catalog. The online catalog allows you to save catalog items: the “saved” list section option includes, sorting, viewing catalog selections in brief or full,  print formatted, and email. You can save your choice items  in the catalog and email the list to yourself or print them. Also, within the search results screen you can choose “limit search” where you can type the desired search term in the “search for” box, under “library” choose “Carlsbad City Library-Cole” and under the collections drop down menu choose “Genealogy” . The “type” box signifies the type of item you are looking for like a book or a database.

GENEALOGICAL PERIODICALS  (763 TITLES) A SAMPLE OF THE TYPES OF PERIODICALS.

Family Newsletters (limited years and volumes, see card catalog online)

Genealogy Society Newsletters (limited years and volumes, see card catalog online)

General Interest Genealogy

Internet Genealogy (from publishers of Family Chronicle)

Family Tree Magazine (Beginning to Intermediate Genealogy researcher)

Family Chronicle (Intermediate to Advanced level; Printed in Canada)

GENEALOGY JOURNALS

The Genealogist

Ancestral News 1976-1985 microform

American Ancestors (NEGHS)

NGS News Magazine

The New England historical and genealogical register : index of persons, volumes 51-148

GEORGINA COLE LIBRARY ONLINE RESEARCH DATABASES WITH A LIBRARY CARD

If you are a California resident you can get a library card: present a valid photo I.D. and proof of mailing address from an envelope or bill. http://www.carlsbadca.gov/services/departments/library/about-us/Pages/library-card.aspx

The Genealogy library offers remote access to Heritage Quest with a Carlsbad Library card. They also offer in library access to Newspaper Archive, American Ancestors, Ancestry Library Edition and Fold3.  

E-BOOK BORROWING

 Your library card also entitles you to use the e-book borrowing system (Overdrive).  Before you use this system you must have an e-book reader program like Adobe Digital Editions. [Download a borrowed  ebook into the ebook-reader program, synch with an ebook reader like Kindle or Nook and transfer the ebook to your mobile device]

NEWSPAPERS AVAILABLE THROUGH E-RESEARCH  DATABASES  THROUGH THE LIBRARY CARD:

 General Reference Center Gold Magazine and Newspaper Articles
Articles from nearly 6,000 magazines, newspapers, and reference books.

ProQuest Newspapers  full text articles:
Los Angeles Times (1985-current)
The New York Times (June 1980-present)
New York Times Magazine (1986-present)
The Wall Street Journal (1984-present)

User Guides for Carlsbad Georgina Cole Genealogy Collection

Genealogy staff have created user guides to assist patrons in using some of the more complex or difficult sources in the collection. (.PDF format) 

  

Alabama Records, Barbour Collection of Connecticut Records, Colonial and State Records of North Carolina, Corbin Manuscript Collection, Draper Manuscript Collection, Hale Collection of Connecticut Vital Records, Hollingsworth Genealogical Card File, New Jersey Archives, New York Archives, Pennsylvania Archives, Province and Court Records of Maine, Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Texas First Families, Turner Genealogical Collection, Vosburgh NY Church Records

City Directories User Guides

  

City Directories: Foreign Online, City Directories: U.S. Online, Regional , Minnesota, Alabama, Mississippi,Alaska, Missouri, Arizona, Montana, Arkansas,Nebraska, California, New Hampshire, Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, Delaware, New York, District of Columbia, North Carolina, Florida , Ohio , Georgia ,Oregon, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Idaho , Rhode Island, Illinois, South Carolina, Indiana, Tennessee, Iowa,Texas, Kansas , Utah, Kentucky, Vermont , Louisiana,Virginia, Maine, Washington, Maryland, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Michigan, Wyoming

 State Census User Guides

State Census Introduction, State Census Alabama, State Census California, State Census Colorado, State Census Florida, State Census Georgia, State Census Illinois, State Census Indiana, State Census Iowa, State Census Kansas, State Census Louisiana, State Census Maine, State Census Massachusetts, State Census Michigan, State Census Minnesota, State Census Mississippi, State Census Missouri, State Census Nebraska, State Census Nevada, State Census New Jersey, State Census New York, State Census North Dakota, State Census Oregon, State Census Rhode Island, State Census South Carolina, State Census South Dakota, State Census Tennessee, State Census Washington, State Census Wisconsin