Genealogy

Genealogical research related to Portland area family histories is among the most frequent uses of Portland Room materials. Our genealogy sources are focused on the Greater Portland region, though we also continue to develop our collection of town histories throughout Maine, printed vital records, and the best in online resources.  The Portland Room staff conserves archival artifacts and offers an array of documentation about the life of Portland including its residents, activities, businesses, and the physical attributes of the city.  The Portland Room staff manages the Portland Room, which is a welcoming research space, and is an active community partner with local researchers, educators, archivists, historians, and educational institutions serving all age groups to preserve and tell Portland’s narrative history.

Portland Room Hours:
Monday: 2pm – 6pm
Tuesday and Wednesday: 10am – 2pm
Thursday and Friday: 1pm – 5pm
Closed Saturday & Sunday

Genealogy : Free online sources »

PPL offers many sources for your genealogy research, via the Library’s Portland Room. In addition to books, periodicals, and microfilms- here is a list of web sites you can freely access from outside the Library.

Learn More »

Genealogy Tools Online

PPL offers two premier online tools to investigate family histories:

Search AncestryLibrary.com for census, immigration and other family records. Available only within the library.

HeritageQuest offers genealogy information, including census data, local history articles, revolutionary war records and more. Available in the library, or from home with your library card number.

MyHeritage Library Edition contains internationally diverse genealogy databases. Access to billions of historical documents, millions of historical photos and resources that span the past five centuries. Remote access from home is allowed and it is and a mobile-friendly.

For a list of other free resources, please click here

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