History & Social Sciences

The History and Social Sciences Division is housed on the eighth floor of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library. The Division is comprised of two distinctly different service areas, History & Social Sciences and the Genealogy Section.

The History & Social Sciences collection serves a variety of library users' needs from informational to recreational and includes books, magazines, videos, maps, and brochures.

 Primary subject areas include the following:

• Criminology
• Education
• Etiquette
• Folklore
• History
• Law
• Military Science
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Social Services
• Travel
• Political Science

The collection contains over 139,000 print volumes, 35,000 periodicals, 12,000 rolls of microfilm, 434,000 microfiche, and 2,500 videos. The collection is primarily circulating but includes substantial reference sources in the fields of history, law, and education.

The McDermott Collection of Navajo Blankets is one of the largest collections of Navajo wearing blankets on display in the world. This prestigious collection was a gift to the Dallas Public Library from the late Eugene McDermott and his wife, Margaret. On permanent display since the opening of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library in 1982, this collection commemorates the commitment of the donors to provide an important part of the heritage of all Americans to the public. The majority of the collection is located on the eighth floor. The blankets date from 1860 to 1918 and exemplify the excellence of Navajo design and weaving style. Produced for personal use and for trade, this fine collection captures the integration of spirit, landscape, and weaver inherent in the best of Native American textile art.

From the eighth floor, library customers have an excellent view of City Hall. The building designed by I.M. Pei, slopes at a 34-degree angle. The City Council's Chamber, on the sixth floor, is a three-floor meeting area with 250 seats. The park plaza in front is planted with native Texas trees, live oaks and cedar elms. Henry Moore designed the bronze sculpture called The Dallas Piece. From the windows on the east side of the building, individuals can catch a glimpse of the great State Fair of Texas Ferris Wheel.

Video Collection

Click this link to search an alphabetical list of over 2,500 video-recordings and DVD's including documentaries, travelogues, biographies and much more.

To search the list, you can either browse the complete list of titles with the scroll bar or conduct one of the following searches:

• To browse the title list alphabetically, click on one of the alphabet letters. (There is a “Back to Top” button located at the top of each letter.)
   
• To search the list by keyword, type your search term into the “Find in Page” search box. To find successive records, click the search button again.

If you find a title of interest, click the call number on the record, and you will be taken the library catalog where you can request the item online with your library card number.

If you need assistance, you can email the History & Social Sciences staff or call us at (214) 670-1424 during the hours of operation listed immediately below.

Special Collections

Major special collections include the following:

• Educational and financial aid sources for students including College Source (U.S. college catalogs on-line)
• Federal and Texas state laws and legal resources for the layperson
• Educational study guides
• Multicultural and Women's Studies resources for students and teachers
• ABE (Adult Basic Education) materials used for literacy instruction
• Spanish language collection in divisional subject areas
• Periodicals and resources for the classroom teacher including ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) Microfiche Collection
• Videos and pamphlet file for travelers
• Civil War regimental histories and historical sources on World War II
• General biographical sources such as Who's Who from the early 1900's
• Periodical holdings include a variety of popular and professional journals including Life magazine from 1936.

Scholarship Research

History & Social Sciences has a large array of books available for finding sources of funding to attend college. It also has books such as the well-known Peterson's Guides which provide information about particular institutions and programs of study. Copies of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are available at the service desk, or library patrons may use one of the research computers on the 6th floor to fill out the FAFSA Online.

Genealogy

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.

Hours of Operation

Sunday	1 pm - 5 pm
Monday	9 am - 9 pm
Tuesday	9 am - 9 pm
Wednesday	9 am - 9 pm
Thursday	9 am - 9 pm
Friday	9 am - 5 pm
Saturday	9 am - 5 pm