Researcher Links

Research allows you to pursue your interests, to learn something new, to hone your problem-solving skills and to challenge yourself in new ways. With a self-initiated research project, you can create a product that represents the distillation of your interests and studies, and possibly, a real contribution to knowledge. Every field of study has its own research problems and methods. As a researcher, you seek answers to questions of great interest to you. Your research problem could be aesthetic, social, political, scientific, or technical. You choose the tools, gather, and analyze the data, and report your findings to a wider audience. Below are links to sources that can inform your research, of course there are many places to find information. We hope our growing selections can get you started!

Do you know of a great resource to share? we can add it to our list.

Any questions or problems with the links, please email library@worcesterhistory.net

Archives in the United States

  • American Antiquarian Society
    Since its founding in 1812 by Revolutionary War patriot and printer Isaiah Thomas, AAS has assembled what is today the world’s largest and most accessible collection of books, pamphlets, broadsides, newspapers, periodicals, children’s literature, music, and graphic arts material printed before the twentieth century in what is now the United States.
  • ArchiveGrid
    ArchiveGrid includes over 7 million records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more. With over 1,400 archival institutions represented, helping researchers looking for primary source materials held in archives, libraries, museums and historical societies.
  • Academy Film Archive
    Academy Film Archive is dedicated to the preservation, restoration, documentation, exhibition and study of motion pictures. 
  • American Heritage Center
    More than 100 years ago, Grace Raymond Hebard began collecting the papers and reminiscences of Wyoming’s pioneers. Her research on the history of Wyoming, the West, emigrant trails, and Native Americans became the nucleus for what is known today as the American Heritage Center (AHC). Officially established in 1945, the Center now holds over 90,000 cubic feet of historic documents and artifacts in more than 3500 collections—placing the AHC among the largest non-governmental archives in the nation.
  • American Radio Archive
    American Radio Archives is situated inside the Thousand Oaks Library in Thousand Oaks, California and contains probably the biggest assortment of radio telecom in the United States and in the world.
  • Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism
    The Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism is a pictorial and written archive of mythological, ritualistic, and symbolic images from all over the world and from all epochs of human history. The collection probes the universality of archetypal themes and provides a testament to the deep and abiding connections that unite the disparate factions of the human family.
  • Archives of American Art
    The Archives of American Art is the world’s preeminent and most widely used research center dedicated to collecting, preserving, and providing access to primary sources that document the history of the visual arts in America.
  • Archives of the History of American Psychology
    The Cummings Center for the History of Psychology (CCHP) includes a museum of psychology that highlights artifacts, documents, films, and photographs from the history of the human sciences. It is home to the Archives of the History of American Psychology, comprised of a vast collection of artifacts, media, and documents, including the personal papers of many important psychologists.
  • Atlanta Housing Archives
    The mission of the Archives is to preserve and provide permanent and historical materials that will assist in the operations of AH; to promote knowledge, research and understanding of the origins, functions, programs and goals of AH; and to collect archival materials that tell the story of AH.
  • Charles E. Stevens American Atheist Library and Archives
    The CESAALA specializes in the preservation of Atheist, Freethought, Rationalist, Secularist, Skeptic, Humanist, Agnostic and Deist materials. Our holdings constitute one of the nation’s largest private gathering of books, booklets, pamphlets, periodicals, ephemera and other records pertinent to these topics. We also have an extensive collection of materials on philosophy, science, the history of religion as well as state-church separation and First Amendment rights.
  • MIT Department of Distinctive Collections
    Distinctive Collections collects, preserves, and fosters the use of unique and rare materials such as tangible and digital archives, manuscripts, ephemera, artists’ books, and more. With these collections the Libraries seeks to cultivate an interest in the past, present, and future; the humanistic and the scientific; and the physical and the digital in order to inspire and enable research, learning, experimentation, and play for a diverse community of users.
  • Harvard University Library
    We are the libraries and archives of Harvard University. Our rare and special collections are among the most remarkable in the world, ranging from medieval manuscripts to sound recordings of modern poets and from early maps to digital images. We champion curiosity for the betterment of the world.
  • Historic Films Archive
    Historic Films Archive is a stock footage library operating from New York. It owns the rights to an extensive collection of television and film footage dating back to 1895. Its library includes all genres of American Music on film and video and historic archive footage derived from American Newsreels, Feature Films, Industrial shorts, home movies, out-takes and cartoons.
  • Hoover Institution Library and Archives
    Our collections contain the most important materials on war, revolution, and peace and social, political, and economic change in the modern era. Access to our collections for research and scholarship (onsite and online) is free to the public. We build connections to our collections by sparking curiosity and we welcome audiences to explore and learn what the Library & Archives has to offer.
  • Industrial Archives
    The Industrial Archives & Library was created in 2015 with the express purpose of preserving America’s industrial past. IAL collects and makes available materials from a variety of industries in the United States.
  • Industrial Archives & Library digital collections
    Welcome to the Industrial Archives & Library digital collections site. You can search specific terms using the search function, or browse our featured collections below.
  • Interference Archive
    The mission of Interference Archive is to explore the relationship between cultural production and social movements. This work manifests in an open stacks archival collection, publications, a study center, and public programs including exhibitions, workshops, talks, and screenings, all of which encourage critical and creative engagement with the rich history of social movements.
  • Internet Archive
    Internet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of free texts, movies, software, music, websites, and more. A digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, we provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, people with print disabilities, and the general public. Our mission is to provide Universal Access to All Knowledge.
  • Library of Congress
    The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, films and video, audio recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections. It preserves and provides access to a rich, diverse and enduring source of knowledge to inform, inspire and engage you in your intellectual and creative endeavors. Whether you are new to the Library of Congress or an experienced researcher, we have a world-class staff ready to assist you online and in person.
  • Massachusetts State Archives Collections
    The State Library’s digital repository helps researchers find both historic and current digitized collections relating to Massachusetts. Our digital repository is an online collection of items that is completely free and open to all users. These items include thousands of Massachusetts state government reports, legislative materials, maps, photographs, and other historical or cultural materials that either have been digitized by the State Library or other institutions or were “born digital,” meaning that they were published electronically originally and not in print. 
  • Massachusetts Historical Society
    We believe that historical understanding is critical to creating a better world. We welcome everyone to draw upon our collections to encourage a richer understanding of our past. We use our resources to educate, connect, and inspire in order to build historical empathy, foster civic responsibility, and generate an awareness of and respect for our shared humanity.
  • Mennonite Church USA Archives
    The Mennonite Church USA Archives seeks to inspire people worldwide to follow Jesus Christ by engaging them with the historical record of Mennonite Christian discipleship.
  • National Public Broadcasting Archives
    The American Archive of Public Broadcasting seeks to preserve and make accessible significant historical content created by public media, and to coordinate a national effort to save at-risk public media before its content is lost to posterity.
  • National Security Archive
    Founded in 1985 by journalists and scholars to check rising government secrecy, the National Security Archive combines a unique range of functions: investigative journalism center, research institute on international affairs, library and archive of declassified U.S. documents, leading non-profit user of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, public interest law firm defending and expanding public access to government information, global advocate of open government, and indexer and publisher of former secrets.
  • Pullman Library, Illinois Railway Museum
    The mission of the Illinois Railway Museum is to educate the public as to our nation’s railroad and railway history by collecting, preserving, and restoring rolling stock, artifacts, structures, and related transportation equipment for display to the public; exhibiting and operating restored rolling stock and equipment on a demonstration rail line; and collecting, preserving, and maintaining a reference library of publications, technical information, and other materials regarding railroads, railways, and related forms of transportation for research and other purposes.
  • Rhizome ArtBase
    Rhizome champions born-digital art and culture through commissions, exhibitions, scholarship, and digital preservation. Founded by artist Mark Tribe as an email discussion list including some of the first artists to work online, Rhizome has played an integral role in the history of contemporary art engaged with digital technologies and the internet.
  • Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library at Princeton University
    The Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library is part of Special Collections within Princeton University Library and is home to the Princeton University Archives and a highly regarded collection of 20th-century public policy papers. You can Explore the Collections further or find more information on Visiting Special Collections throughout the website. 
  • South Texas Archives and Special Collections
    The South Texas Archives, a division of the James C. Jernigan Library at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, houses archival materials documenting the rich history of both South Texas and the University.
  • Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs
    The Reuther Library is the largest labor archives in North America and is home to the collections of numerous unions and labor-related organizations. Its collection strengths extend to the political and community life of urban and metropolitan Detroit, the civil rights movement in Michigan and nationally, and women’s struggles in the workplace. The Reuther Library is also the home of the Wayne State University Archives, established by the Board of Governors in 1958 in recognition of the importance and permanent value of the University’s official files, records, and documents.
  • Washington Area Performing Arts Video Archive
    WAPAVA is a resource for theater professionals and scholars; students and educational programs; specialized researchers in local/national theater history; and the public.
  • Washington University Special Collections
    The Julian Edison Department of Special Collections focuses on six primary areas: the Dowd Illustration Research Archive, Film & Media Archive, Local History, Manuscripts, Rare Books, and the University Archives. An active program of class visits, exhibitions, workshops, and public events highlights the department’s vital role in scholarship at WashU and the wider community.
  • National Archives and Records Administration
    The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation’s record keeper. Of all documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States federal government, only 1%-3% are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept by us forever. Those valuable records are preserved and are available to you, whether you want to see if they contain clues about your family’s history, need to prove a veteran’s military service, or are researching a historical topic that interests you. 
    • Research our Records
      Of all documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government, only 1%-3% are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept forever. Those valuable records are preserved in the National Archives and are available to you, whether you want to see if they contain clues about your family’s history, need to prove a veteran’s military service, or are researching a historical topic that interests you.
    • Electronic Records Archives
      NARA is building ERA to fulfill its mission in the digital age: to safeguard and preserve the records of our government, ensure that the people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage, and ensure continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government.
    • Military Personnel Records Center
      The National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records (NPRC-MPR) is the repository of millions of military personnel, health, and medical records of discharged and deceased veterans of all services during the 20th century. (Records prior to WWI are in Washington, DC.) NPRC (MPR) also stores medical treatment records of retirees from all services and records for dependents and other persons treated at naval medical facilities. Information from the records is made available upon written request (with signature and date) to the extent allowed by law.
  • Smithsonian Institution Archives
    The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums, 14 education and research centers, and the National Zoo—shaping the future by preserving heritage, discovering new knowledge, and sharing our resources with the world. The Institution was founded in 1846 with funds from the Englishman James Smithson (1765–1829) according to his wishes “under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” We continue to honor this mission and invite you to join us in our quest.
    • National Anthropological Archives
      The National Anthropological Archives in the National Museum of Natural History’s Department of Anthropology, collects and preserves historical and contemporary anthropological materials that document the world’s cultures and the history of anthropology. The collections include fieldnotes, journals, manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, maps, artwork, and sound recordings created by Smithsonian and non-Smithsonian anthropologists, Native peoples, and other scholars, scientists, and researchers.
    • Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
      The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage is a research center of the Smithsonian Institution. We work with communities in the United States and around the world to encourage the understanding, appreciation, and vitality of humanity’s diverse living cultural heritage.

Aerospace Links

  • Air Lock
    Air-Lock’s business operations have been supporting leading-edge aviation and space programs for well over half a century now and we are presently developing the hardware technology base upon which future generations of air and space crews will rely for protection. A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of David Clark Company Incorporated
  • Beale AFB
    Beale Air Force Base is home of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing. Beale AFB is steeped in history, yet at the same time it soars in the forefront of the Air Force’s future in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance technology.
  • NASA
    NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.
  • National Aerospace Training and Research Center
    (NASTAR) Center (est. 2007) is the premier commercial air and space training, research, and educational facility. It combines state-of-the-art flight simulation with physiology-based courseware to optimize human performance in extreme environments. 
  • Roadrunners Internationale
    Preserving the history of the aviation pioneers and programs that developed the U-2, A-12 and YF-12 during the Cold War. The high water marks of aeronautical development. This site is dedicated to the memories of our band of brothers, especially those we lost in the CIA U-2 and A-12 Projects Aquatone and OXCART at Groom Lake, during Operation Black Shield at Kadena, Okinawa, and on the NASA High Range. Enjoy the legacy of our nation’s secret heroes of the Cold War.
  • U-2 Dragon Lady Association
    For more than 50 years, Lockheed Martin’s U-2 has played a vital role in American strategic intelligence. The unique high-flying reconnaissance jet was designed early in the Cold War to overfly and photograph military activities in the Soviet Union and other communist nations.
  • National Museum of the United States Air Force
    National Museum of the United States Air Force collects, researches, conserves, interprets and presents the Air Force’s history, heritage and traditions, as well as today’s mission to fly, fight and win … air power anytime, anywhere to a global audience through engaging exhibits, educational outreach, special programs, and the stewardship of the national historic collection. 

Cemeteries & Gravestones

  • Cemetery Records Online
    This website contains 25+ million cemetery records, transcripts, and burial registers, from tens of thousands of cemeteries across the world, all contributed by genealogists, cemeteries, government agencies, and private organizations
  • Farber Gravestone Collection (American Antiquarian Society)
    The Farber Gravestone Collection is an unusual resource documenting the sculpture on over 9,000 gravestones most of which were made prior to 1800. The late Daniel Farber of Worcester, Massachusetts, and his wife, Jessie Lie Farber, were responsible for the largest portion of the collection. 
  • Find A Grave
    Find the graves of ancestors, create virtual memorials or add photos, virtual flowers and a note to a loved one’s memorial. Search or browse cemeteries and grave records for every-day and famous people from around the world.
  • Friends of Hope Cemetery
    The Friends of Hope Cemetery was founded in 1991 by a group of concerned citizens who wished to assist the city in the preservation, conservation and beautification of the cemetery. The Friends promote an appreciation of the cemetery with a wide variety of programs including historical walking tours, lectures, bird walks, conservation workshops and Arbor Day activities.
  • Massachusetts Cemetery Guide
    Massachusetts cemeteries are more than just final resting places; they are outdoor museums that tell the story of our state’s rich history. From colonial-era burial grounds to modern memorial parks, these sacred spaces offer a unique glimpse into the lives of those who came before us. Join us as we explore the fascinating world of Massachusetts cemeteries, where history, art, and genealogy intersect
  • Nationwide Gravesite Locator
    Search cemeteries by name, and date

Community Projects

Cultural Groups

Online Exhibits

  • Armenians at Work
    Showcasing Armenians at work around the world, from the homeland and throughout the diaspora, from 1899 through contemporary times. 
  • Commonwealth Museum
    The Commonwealth Museum brings the story to life with state of the art interactive exhibits. Its dramatic “treasures gallery” holds the great historic documents that protect our liberties.
  • Early Caribbean Digital Archive
    ECDA Exhibits are curated collections of early Caribbean materials, which offer new entryways into the archive. Each exhibit tells a story about the relationship between texts and images, linking geographies, genres, and print culture.
  • Mass Air & Space Museum
    Each exhibit contains clickable navigation buttons at the top and each “Record” contains an image and information
  • New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center
    A growing collection of interviews, photographs, documents, video footage, and artifacts captures the experiences and knowledge of generations of fishermen, shoreside workers, and their families, ensuring their stories are passed down to future generations. Many of these materials have been digitized and are uploaded in our online collections database.
  • Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archive
    Preserving the global Armenian experience through photography
  • Tenement Museum
    Discover our interactive digital exhibits, which provide a fascinating, in-depth historical look at life on the Lower East Side. 
  • 9/11 Memorial and Museum
    The 9/11 Memorial Museum’s digital exhibitions offer online learners the opportunity to access the Museum’s collection of primary sources, research, and stories about the events of 9/11 and their ongoing impacts.
  • Queerolina: Experiences of Place and Space through Oral Histories
    An exhibit highlighting the lived experiences of UNC-Chapel Hill students who identify as LGBTQIA+. Queerolina examines spaces on campus and beyond through selected excerpts from oral histories shared by students and alums.
  • New York Public Library Digital Collections
    This site is a living database with new materials added every day, featuring prints, photographs, maps, manuscripts, streaming video, and more.
  • Duke University Libraries Digital Collections
    Digitized historic photographs, advertisements, texts & more from Duke’s unique library collections.

General Resources

  • Google Scholar  
    Google Scholar is a search engine that helps users find scholarly literature, including: articles, books, theses, abstracts, court opinions, conference papers, preprints, and technical reports. Google Scholar searches across many disciplines and sources, including: Academic publishers, Professional societies, Online repositories, Universities, and Other websites. 
  • Mass Library Gale databases courtesy of the Mass Library System
    Databases are made possible by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and by the Massachusetts Library System.
  • Mass.gov Court Records
    Find information on how to access electronic case information and calendars for the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC), Appeals Court, and Trial Court. You can search court dockets, view oral arguments, find court calendars, access SJC briefs, and more.
    • Historic Civil/Criminal Case Records
      Find information on where you can access civil and criminal case records depending on the year and county. Some historic civil and criminal case records are available online on familysearch.org, which is free once you create an account. 
    • Mass Court Archives
      Find information on how and where you can access historic records in the court archives.The court archives include historic records for divorce, naturalization, probate, name change, and adoption.
    • Court of Common Pleas (Court records, 1784-1859)
      Microfilm of original records in the Worcester County Courthouse. Before 1784 these court records are found under the jurisdiction of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas. Indexes are found at the beginning of each volume.
  • North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM)
    Gain access to more than 1400 museums and cultural organizations throughout North America. The NARM Association is an extensive network of hundreds of cultural institutions across Bermuda, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States. It connects their memberships for unprecedented access to arts, science, history, botanical gardens, and more. Become a member of the Museum of Worcester to access the NARM network.
  • Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
    RVRS collects, manages, and tracks millions of vital records in Massachusetts from 1931 to the present. RVRS also provides statistics on births, deaths, fetal deaths, divorces, and marriages. These data sets are used to help understand our population, promote wellness, and ensure health equity within the Commonwealth.
  • US Post Office History
    In the nearly 250 years since Benjamin Franklin was appointed our first Postmaster General in 1775, the Postal Service has grown and changed with America, boldly embracing new technologies to better serve a growing population. We invite you to use these links to explore our rich history.
  • Worcester District Medical Society
    The Worcester District Medical Society, established in 1794 is the 3rd oldest medical society in the country. We are a not-for-profit organization representing over 2,400 physician members and medical students in Central Massachusetts.
  • Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England
    The records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England preserve efforts made by English migrants to organize, settle, and govern the Massachusetts colony. These records, beginning in 1628, document the proceedings of the colony’s governing body, the General Court.
  • The Sonia & Celina Sotomayer Judicial Internship Program
    The Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program (The Sotomayor Program) seeks to cultivate and develop future leaders from underserved communities through judicial internships, educational experiences, and the resources necessary to achieve their professional goals.
  • Labor Arts & Activism
    LaborArts presents powerful images to further understanding of the past and present lives of working people. We gather, identify and display images of these cultural artifacts in order to encourage more people in this country and around the world to appreciate the history of work and working people. The labor movement is a critical part of the story – although not the whole story.
  • Remember the Triangle Fire
    The Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition educates the public about the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire through its on-going arts projects, educational outreach, and social media sites. Throughout the year, the Coalition offers programming to raise public awareness about the fire and explore its continuing relevance for worker rights and workplace safety. 

Genealogy Resources

  • Croatian Descent
    If you’re of Croatian descent and curious about your family’s roots, you’re not alone. With Croatia’s rich history and a large diaspora spread across the globe, many people are eager to trace their ancestry back to the old country. Whether your ancestors emigrated during the major migration waves of the late 19th century, after World War II, or at another time, starting your family history research can be an exciting and rewarding journey. Thanks Ben.
  • Cyndi’s List
    A comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online. Your genealogy starting point for more than 25 years!
  • Ellis Island
    Since the 1980s, the nonprofit Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation has partnered with the National Park Service to restore and preserve the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
  • FamilySearch
    Search billions of ancestor profiles, photographs, and historical documents at once—absolutely FREE.
  • Genealogy.com
    source for family history buffs to find genealogical research originally posted in GenForum and our most popular genealogy articles. Start a search or browse below to start digging into your family’s past!
  • Jewish Genealogy
    Explore millions of records from around the world, identify relatives, discover the towns of your ancestors, experience how they lived, connect with our global JewishGen community, and more!
  • Massachusetts Vital Records (sadly, this site is down)
  • New England Historic Genealogical Society
    Founded in 1845, American Ancestors is the country’s leading resource for family history research. We help genealogists of all skill levels improve their knowledge and understanding of their family and its place in history. Our award-winning website is the online repository for more than 1.4 billion searchable names from America and beyond. We provide expertise and research across every era of American family history.
  • All About Portuguese History, Genealogy, and Immigration
    AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE GUIDE FOR UNDERSTANDING PORTUGUESE HISTORY & HERITAGE
  • One-Step Webpages by Steve P. Morse
    This site contains tools for finding immigration records, census records, vital records, and for dealing with calendars, maps, foreign alphabets, and numerous other applications. Some of these tools fetch data from other websites but do so in more versatile ways than the search tools provided on those websites.
  • RootsWeb
     A free online community for genealogy research that helps people connect with other genealogists
  • GENEALOGY FOR KIDS: BUILDING A FAMILY TREE
    Genealogy offers an exciting journey into the past, where kids and adults alike can uncover stories and connections that define their family’s history. Creating a family tree is not just about discovering who your ancestors were; it’s about bringing history to life, nurturing curiosity, and strengthening research skills. 
  • RESEARCHING YOUR FAMILY’S HISTORY FROM SHIPS PASSENGER LISTS
    Family historians and genealogists prize the information that ship passenger lists have to offer. Although the information recorded on the lists was not made standard until the twentieth century, finding an ancestor or research target on a ship’s passenger list still provides valuable knowledge about the ancestor. (Two links in caps were contributed by two Boys Scouts earning a genealogy badge! Thanks Brody and Bryce!)
  • Video Editing Tips for Family History Videos
    A family history video is a great way to share the fascinating stories and life experiences uncovered through genealogy research. When you present this information as a filmed interview, the audience can connect with your passion for the subject, like hearing stories around the campfire. To create an engaging family history video, it’s important to remember that stories are the primary way we communicate with the world. Rather than just listing names and dates, aim to tell stories that captivate your audience. (Anthony went to Youth Genealogy Camp Summer 2024 and wants to share this link. Thanks Anthony!)
  • Guide to House History and Genealogy research
    Investigating the history of your house can help you appreciate it on a deeper level and connect you to past generations that experienced it. It helps foster a sense of identity and belonging as you discover how your home fits into a broader community fabric.
    (This link was sent to us from Zach. Another Boy Scout working on a Genealogy Badge)
  • USGenWeb Project
    The USGenWeb® Project was established in 1996 by a group of genealogists who shared a desire to create free online resources for genealogical research. Originally beginning with online directories of text-based resources, their vision has grown into a network of over 3000 linked websites, all individually created and maintained by a community of volunteers. Today you may find a variety of unique county and state resources including photos, maps, transcriptions, historical documents, helpful links, and much more.
  • 1930 Census Resources for Genealogists
    This site was created to share free census research tips and related information with our fellow family history enthusiasts.

Historic Preservation, Property & Land

  • Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS)
    The Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS) allows you to search the Massachusetts Historical Commission database for information on historic properties and areas in the Commonwealth.
  • Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
    Over 5 million land and property records from the Massachusetts Land Office and county courthouses. Records include land grants, patents, deeds, and mortgages. This collection includes all counties in Massachusetts.
  • National Register of Historic Places
    The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.
  • Photographs of Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Structures in Massachusetts Taken 1887-1945 by Harriette Merrifield Forbes (American Antiquarian Society)
    Harriette Merrifield Forbes (1856-1951) was a Worcester author and historian. From 1887 to 1945, she photographed seventeenth and eighteenth century structures throughout central and eastern Massachusetts. Her images, preserved as 853 negatives (mostly glass plate negatives), have been digitized and cataloged as part of a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.
  • Preservation Massachusetts
    Preservation Massachusetts (PM) is a statewide historic preservation education and advocacy organization dedicated to preserving the Commonwealth’s historic and cultural heritage.
  • Preservation Worcester
    Preservation Worcester’s mission is to protect and revitalize the sites, structures, and neighborhoods of the City of Worcester that are significant to its diverse culture, history, and architecture through advocacy, outreach, education, and engagement.
  • Worcester Registry of Deeds
    The Worcester Registry of Deeds provides access to land records in Worcester County.
  • Friends of Institute Park
    Friends of Institute Park is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving Institute Park and Salisbury Pond. Our efforts have resulted in making this area more attractive, user-friendly, accessible, and responsive to the thousands of visitors who use the park throughout the year. 

LGBTQ+

  • Boston’s LGBTQA+ History
    Collections located at Northeastern University illustrating a diverse range of individuals, activism, and networks in the Boston LGBTQA community from the 1970s onwards.
  • Digital Transgender Archive
    The purpose of the Digital Transgender Archive (DTA) is to increase the accessibility of transgender history by providing an online hub for digitized historical materials, born-digital materials, and information on archival holdings throughout the world. The DTA is an international collaboration among dozens of colleges, universities, nonprofit organizations, public libraries, and private collections.
  • Dyke TV – Collection at Smith College
    Dyke TV was a half-hour weekly, nation-wide cable tv show that featured a five-minute news segment covering issues relevant to lesbian lives from a lesbian perspective; and in-depth stories including politics, popular culture, health, art, sports, and music. The Dyke TV Records are housed in the Sophia Smith Collection and include original show master tapes, raw production footage.
  • Fordham University Queer Studies Libguide
    A guide to archives located in NYC and digital collections located around the world documenting LGBTQ+ culture.
  • GLBT Historical Society
    The GLBT Historical Society collects, preserves, exhibits and makes accessible to the public materials and knowledge to support and promote understanding of LGBTQ history, culture and arts in all their diversity.
  • Gulf Coast Archive and Museum of GLBT History
    The Gulf Coast Archive and Museum of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender History, Inc. is a 501-c-3 organization that was formed in Houston, Texas, by a group of concerned activists so that our collective histories could be saved – as well as be available for educational uses – through the utilization of a museum or similar venue.
  • Homosaurus
    The Homosaurus is an international linked data vocabulary of LGBTQ+ terms. Designed to enhance broad subject term vocabularies, the Homosaurus is a robust and cutting-edge thesaurus that advances the discoverability of LGBTQ+ resources and information.
  • LGBTQ+ College Student Guide
    Before you apply to a school, be sure to research the guide. Much of your research can begin with college websites, but if you’re strongly considering a campus, we recommend consulting your high school counselors, the college’s admissions office, and current students in addition to reviewing their college website.
  • Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in GLBT Studies
    The Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies at the University of Minnesota houses over 3,000 linear feet of material about the GLBT experience. It includes published material, organizational records, personal manuscripts, informational files, films, music, textiles, posters, and other items. The collection is international in scope and has materials in approximately 58 languages.
  • Lambda Archives of San Diego
    The mission of the Lambda Archives of San Diego is to collect, preserve, and share the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people in San Diego, Northern Baja California and the Imperial County region.
  • Lesbian Herstory Archives
    The Lesbian Herstory Archives exists to gather, preserve and provide access to records of Lesbian lives and activities. Doing this also serves to uncover and document our herstory previously denied to us by patriarchal historians in the interests of the culture that they served. The existence of the Archives will thus enable current and future generations to analyze and reevaluate the Lesbian experience.
  • Northwest LGBTQ History
    Oregon Queer History Collective is a grassroots historical society documenting, sharing, and preserving local LGBTQIA2S+ history and culture. Founded in 1994 as Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN), we proudly support community activities, promote scholarship on queer history, steward extensive collections, advance inclusive historical recordation, and much much more!
  • ONE Archives at USC Libraries
    ONE Archives at the USC Libraries is the largest repository of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) materials in the world. Founded in 1952, ONE Archives houses millions of archival items including periodicals, books, films, videos, audio recordings, photographs, artworks, organizational records, and personal papers. ONE Archives has been a part of the University of Southern California Libraries since 2010.
  • Pride Worcester
    Over fifty years after a few hundred gays and lesbians marched for Gay Pride in Worcester, the celebration has finally become a successful and well-established feature of Worcester life.
  • The ArQuives of Canada
    The ArQuives aspires to be a significant resource and catalyst for those who strive for a future world where lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and two spirit people are accepted, valued, and celebrated.
  • The Center
    The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (The Center) was established in 1983 at the height of the AIDS crisis to provide a safe and affirming place for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers to respond to the urgent threats facing the community. Over the past 40 years, The Center has grown to meet the changing needs of New York’s LGBTQ+ community, delivering services that empower people to lead healthy, successful lives.

Libraries, Museums & Repositories

Maps

  • Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
    A powerful historical research and reference tool in electronic form. The Atlas presents in maps and text complete data about the creation and all subsequent changes (dated to the day) in the size, shape, and location of every county in the fifty United States and the District of Columbia. The principal sources for these data are the most authoritative available: the session laws of the colonies, territories, and states that created and changed the counties.
  • David Rumsey Map Collection
    The David Rumsey Map Collection was started over 35 years ago and contains more than 200,000 maps. The collection focuses on rare 16th through 21st century maps of North and South America, as well as maps of the World, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. The collection includes atlases, globes, wall maps, school geographies, pocket maps, books of exploration, maritime charts, and a variety of cartographic materials including pocket, wall, children’s, and manuscript maps. Items range in date from around 1550 to the present.
  • Earthworks
    There are 24,068 datasets in EarthWorks. Data that includes location information (coordinates) and is natively usable in GIS software and services such as ArcGIS, QGIS, WFS, and WMS. Geospatial data types include vector data, such as Shapefile, GeoJSON, and GeoPackage, and raster data, such as GeoTIFFs, grid files, and georeferenced maps.
  • Google Earth
    Examine the world without leaving your desk. Mapmaking tools and collaborative features — all in one easy-to-use package. View high-resolution satellite imagery, explore 3D terrain and buildings in hundreds of cities, and dive into Street View’s 360° perspectives.
  • Google Maps
    Google Maps shows you information about the places you’re interested in, based on where you’re looking and what you’ve searched for. When you explore locations on Google Maps, you sometimes see content provided by other users—such as reviews and photographs—to help you better understand those places. You may also see content provided by our partners, some of which is provided for a fee.
  • HistoryPin
    A world where every cultural organization can engage and grow their community – to build understanding through stories. We collect, curate and structure stories to bring people together, one story at a time … and where it get really powerful is through the work we do to enable others.
  • Norman B. Levanthal Map Center (Boston Public Library)
    The Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library mission is to use the collection of 200,000 maps and 5,000 atlases for the enjoyment and education of all through exhibitions, educational programs, and a website that includes more than 10,000 digitized maps at collections. The map collection is global in scope, dating from the 15th century to the present, with a particular strength in maps and atlases from the New England region, American Revolutionary War period, nautical charts, and world urban centers.
  • State Library of Massachusetts, Real Estate Atlases
    As part of a grant-funded project, the State Library is digitizing the Massachusetts Real Estate Atlases in its collection. These atlases provide information about property boundaries, plot size, ownership, building shapes, and materials and are heavily used by genealogists, architectural consultants, people researching the history of their homes, and others. (scroll down for Worcester)
  • Fire Insurance Maps at the Library of Congress: A Resource Guide
    The majority of fire insurance maps in the collection date between 1880-1960. While the Sanborn Map Company came to dominate the field, many smaller publishers also produced maps of this type that are included in our collections. This guide will help researchers to understand and search the vast collection of fire insurance maps available at the Library.
  • Waymarking.com
    Waymarkly features quick and easy searching of Waymarks in your area and around the world. Including the ability to log visits, view logs, save and filter offline Waymarks and use beautiful offline maps, Waymarkly is the premiere Waymarking app for iOS.

Online Books & Publications

Worcester History eBooks

Online Newspapers

  • Cambridge Public Library Historic Cambridge Newspaper Collection
    This online resource provides free access to historic Cambridge newspapers and is a project of the Cambridge Public Library Archives and Special Collections. This collection contains 16,425 issues comprising 220,613 pages, and 1,793,859 articles.
  • Chronicling America
    Search America’s historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
  • Irish News Archive
    The archive consists of over 6 million pages of newspaper content from titles North and South of the Irish border and through the newspaper obituaries Irish genealogists can search, retrieve and view births, deaths and marriage records from over 279 year’s worth of Irish publications.
  • Massachusetts Newspapers
    A listing of Massachusetts newspapers.
  • NewsBank (Worcester Papers can be found here) Holy Cross Dinand Library has a five user subscription. See the librarian for the login.
  • Old Fulton Postcards (newspapers)
  • The Big Index of Global Newspapers
    From Website Planet: Finding newspapers to promote your story in specific areas can often prove to be quite challenging. However, there’s no need to worry, as we have taken care of all the legwork for you. We have meticulously organized news sources by countries and regions from around the world.

Women’s History

  • Arthur & Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, Harvard University
    The Schlesinger Library is the leading center for scholarship on the history of women in the United States. As part of Harvard Radcliffe Institute, we are devoted to catalyzing new research and to sharing it broadly with scholars and an engaged public.
  • The Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony Papers Project, Rutgers University
    The entire collection documents the friendship and accomplishments of two of America’s most important social and political reformers. Though neither Stanton nor Anthony lived to see passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, each of them devoted fifty-five years to the cause of woman suffrage.
  • Bancroft Library – Women’s Collections
    For hundreds of years women have given shape to our culture, homes, workplaces, and our lives in California. Women from every walk of life have strengthened and served our state, as landowners, homemakers, basket weavers, educators, entrepreneurs, entertainers, community leaders, inventors, settlers, artists, activists, and scientists. Undaunted by discrimination and closed doors, women opened windows instead, raising their voices for their respective causes and pursuits. We celebrate their tenacity and fortitude, raising our collective voice in honor of these women, whose memories live on in the collections of The Bancroft Library.
  • The Emma Goldman Papers, Berkeley University
    Emma Goldman (1869–1940) stands as a major figure in the history of American radicalism and feminism. An influential and well-known anarchist of her day, Goldman was an early advocate of free speech, birth control, women’s equality and independence, and union organization. Her criticism of mandatory conscription of young men into the military during World War I led to a two-year imprisonment, followed by her deportation in 1919. For the rest of her life until her death in 1940, she continued to participate in the social and political movements of her age, from the Russian Revolution to the Spanish Civil War.
  • The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
    The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education. The Institute is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.
  • Jewish Women’s Archive
    The Jewish Women’s Archive (JWA) is dedicated to expanding and transforming the historical narrative by restoring Jewish women and gender-expansive people to their rightful place. While Jewish women have always played crucial roles in their communities, for much of history their efforts went largely undocumented. With its dearth of female figures, the traditional Jewish historical narrative not only robbed Jewish women and girls of their past, it also limited the vision of people of all genders about women’s experiences and capacities. JWA explores the past as a framework for understanding the pressing issues of our time; mobilizes young people with remarkable role models; and uses Jewish women’s stories to inspire people to see themselves as history makers.
  • Library of Congress American Women
    This research guide gathers together and updates most of the topical and format-based sections of the online presentation of 456-page print resource guide entitled, American Women: A Library of Congress Guide for the Study of Women’s History and Culture in the United States, which was published in December 2001 by the Library of Congress in cooperation with the University Press of New England.
  • Palczewski Suffrage Postcard Archive
    This website provides a virtual tour of my archive of suffrage postcards. It is meant to provide a resource for scholars researching the visual images associated with the struggle for woman suffrage in both the United States and Great Britain. 
  • Sally Bingham Center for Women’s History & Culture, Duke University
    The Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture acquires, preserves, and makes available to a large population of researchers published and unpublished materials that reflect the public and private lives of women past and present. 
  • Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
    The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, one of The New York Public Library’s renowned research libraries, is a world-leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.
  • Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College
    Founded in 1942, the Sophia Smith Collection (SSC) is one of the most significant collections of women’s history in the United States that focuses on women working on behalf of other women and gender minorities. The SSC has substantive strengths in women’s reproductive rights and justice, women’s liberation movements, suffrage and civil rights, community activism, iconoclast creators, women’s economic justice, lesbian and queer communities, and women’s environmental justice. It is a collection that reflects the diversity and complexity of women’s lives and identities through the lens of social, political, and cultural change, and gender justice.
  • Suffragists Oral History Project, Berkeley University
    The Bancroft Library is the primary special collections library at UC Berkeley, and one of the largest and most heavily used libraries of manuscripts, rare books, and unique materials in the United States. Bancroft supports major research and instructional activities and plays a leading role in the development of the university’s research collections.
  • Susan B. Anthony Letters Collection, Rochester Public Library
    Susan Brownell Anthony (1820-1906) was an American reformer and advocate of woman’s rights. She crusaded for temperance and the abolition of slavery, but is best known for her work in the national woman’s suffrage movement, which culminated in the passage of the 19th amendment to the Constitution. The collection contains correspondence and miscellaneous printed material dealing with Miss Anthony and the suffrage movement. The letters also deal with family and personal matters.
  • Women’s Library, London Metropolitan University
    The library has many items relating to women, boxed by subject. Subjects include: women in the trade unions, including the TUC Women Conference Reports and monograph publications, women’s employment, sexual harassment, equal pay, wages, hours, child labour and youth employment, poverty, family, marriage, contraception, abortion, child legislation, divorce, illegitimacy, International Women’s Year, Equal Opportunities Commission, National Council of Women, Feminist Review, Women of Europe Newsletter. Some of these subjects have been listed in more detail elsewhere in the catalogue.
  • Women’s Rights National Historic Park, Seneca Falls, New York
    Women’s Rights National Historical Park tells the story of the first Women’s Rights Convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York on July 19-20, 1848. It is a story of struggles for civil rights, human rights, and equality, global struggles that continue today. The efforts of women’s rights leaders, abolitionists, and other 19th century reformers remind us that all people must be accepted as equals.
  • Carrie Chapman Catt Girlhood Home, Charles City, Iowa
    The Carrie Chapman Catt Girlhood Home is located about three miles southeast of Charles City, Iowa. The home today is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and has been restored at the direction of the National 19th Amendment Society, a non-profit organization based out of Charles City.
  • National Women’s Hall of Fame, Seneca Falls, New York
    The National Women’s Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization committed to engaging every generation in celebrating the achievements of women who change the world. The Hall elevates women’s voices, equips and empowers changemakers, and advances gender equity through action, education, and storytelling. 
  • Susan B. Anthony House, Rochester, New York
    The National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House in Rochester, New York, features the National Historic Landmark home of the legendary civil rights leader, and the site of her famous arrest for voting in 1872. This home was the headquarters of the National American Woman Suffrage Association when she was its president. This is also where she died in 1906 at age 86, following her “Failure is Impossible” speech in Baltimore. 
  • Berkshire Conference of Women Historians
    Founded in 1930, the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians (Berks) promotes scholarship and supports the activities of women in the historical profession. Perhaps you already know us for our triennial meeting, The Berkshire Conference on the History of Women (“The Big Berks”). Launched in 1973, it is now the largest gathering of its kind in the world
  • National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites
    The National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites advocates for historic sites that center the preservation and interpretation of the important role of women and gender non-conforming individuals as core to the American story.
  • National Women’s History Museum
    Women’s contributions and accomplishments have largely been overlooked and consequently omitted from mainstream culture. The National Women’s History Museum helps fill that void. To this end, the Museum serves to place women’s history within current historical narratives because inclusive history is good history. 
  • National Women’s History Alliance
    The National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA), formerly the National Women’s History Project, is a leader in promoting women’s history and is committed to the goals of education, empowerment, equality, and inclusion. We are a non-partisan organization committed to educating and empowering individuals through inclusive and diverse perspectives on women’s history.
  • Teaching with Documents: Woman Suffrage and the 19th Amendment
    Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change in the Constitution – guaranteeing women the right to vote. Some suffragists used more confrontational tactics such as picketing, silent vigils, and hunger strikes.
  • Woman Suffrage Memorabilia
    The primary purpose of this site is to provide a repository for information about memorabilia connected to the woman suffrage movement in both England and America.  Subjects discussed here will include woman suffrage buttons, suffrage ribbons, suffrage sashes, suffrage advertising cards, suffrage jewelry, suffrage sheet music, suffrage postcards, Cinderella stamps and other aspects of suffrage ephemera
  • Women’s Voting Rights and Suffrage in Wyoming
    The women’s suffrage movement in Wyoming was different from that of most of the U.S. states. While it was still a territory of the United States, back in 1869, a group of all-male legislators passed a suffrage bill. There were some legislators that voted for this because they truly believed women had a right to vote, while others passed it in hopes of simply bringing more women to the sparsely populated territory of Wyoming.