The Genealogy Section under the auspices of the
History & Social Sciences Division
contains a collection for family history research that
is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the
southern half of the United States. Over 50,000
individuals visit annually with many traveling from
out-of-state to utilize this collection. The 80,000
volumes, 42,000 rolls of microfilm, 77,000 microfiche,
and over 700 maps and charts comprise an especially rich
array of material for genealogical research.
The collection is primarily national in scope with
all states and counties represented, but also consists
of materials for some foreign countries in particular
Germany, the British Isles and Canada. This extensive
collection includes vital, census, and naturalization
records, state and county histories, family histories,
passenger lists, and heraldry. In addition, the section
has one of the most complete collections of military
service records in the nation. Over 500 genealogical
journals and 200 family name publications comprise the
periodical holdings. The collection is divided into
sections for each state, for general United States
materials, for each foreign country, and for family
histories and genealogies. All holdings in Genealogy are
reference and for in library use only.
A detailed overview of the collection and services
available are included in the
Guide
to Research: Genealogy Section: Dallas Public Library.
