Online Genealogy Research
Ancestry
In Library Only – The most asked for collection of genealogical databases. Many state, national, and international resources are included.
Heritage Hub
Explore your family history with the premier collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth genealogical research from 1704 – today.
History Reference Center
Full-text articles to support research in history and genealogy, and lesson plans to support student learning.
Doing Research at the Library
The Library has microfilm of Western Springs' local newspaper, as well as Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, which can be viewed on our microfilm reader. Issues of Suburban Life from 2007 forward can be found in the Chicago Community Collection.
Please see the staff at the Reference Desk for assistance accessing our microfilm or using the microfilm reader.
Microfilm Holdings
Newspapers
- Western Springs Times (5/10/1913 - 2/24/1955)
- Western Springs Citizen (3/3/1955 - 10/14/1965, 10/21/1965 - 12/28/1972)
- The Villager (8/1/1963 - 7/21/1966)
- The Citizen (1/4/1973 - 12/31/1975)
- Suburban Life (1/1/1976 - 12/29/1976)
- Suburban Life Citizen (1/1/1977 - 6/30/2001)
- Suburban Life (7/4/2001 - 3/30/2011)
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps: Chicago
- Reel 20 of 68
- Reel 9 of 68
Western Springs Historical Society
The Western Springs Historical Society promotes the preservation of the cultural, economic and aesthetic heritage of Western Springs.
Maintained by the U.S. Federal government, NARA houses millions of microfilmed, printed, and manuscript records. Excellent for census records; governmental and military history records; military pension files; product patents; also passenger lists, early naturalization records, and much more.
A completely free genealogy database website. You can use an Advanced Search tool by surname, record type, and/or place to access millions of records.
Free county/state historical and genealogical resources; research resources and content projects driven by volunteers of local and state genealogical societies throughout the United States.
The National Genealogical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching genealogical research skills. They offer free tips, articles, and resources on their website.
They call themselves the world’s largest gravesite collection with more than 170 million memorials. Search for free. Many photos and text have been added to gravesite information.
The global leader in online obituaries, partners with more than 1,500 newspapers and 3,500 funeral homes across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Europe.