The Halton Hills Public Library offers a wide-range of materials and services that can help you discover more about your family's history. Browse our Program Calendar to see what programs we are offering, or explore our featured collections, events and services below.

Ancestry Library Edition 

This tool provides you with access to census data and records pertaining to birth, death, marriage, immigration and military service. Records are available from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Ancestry Library Edition is only available for use within the library.

Access Ancestry Library Edition
Create your family tree
Record your family tree using MyHeritage Family Tree Builder software. This software is installed on computers in the Creativity Centre. Please see the Creativity Centre page for more information, including how to book a computer.
Esquesing Historical Society Archives
The Georgetown Branch is home to the Esquesing Historical Society's archives and holds documents related to where your relatives may have lived or worked. You can ask to see these documents at any service desk at the Georgetown Branch.
Family Search

This database is a free, family history research tool that provides online access to billions of historical records. FamilySearch is free to use from anywhere with internet access, but users must create an account to log in and search.

Access Family Search

The Halton Hills Public Library is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library, offering in-library access to additional, limited-access FamilySearch databases. You must log in to your FamilySearch account from within one of our library branches to access additional records. 
Newspapers

If your family lived Halton Region, you can search our online databases to discover if they appeared in the local news.

  • Halton Hills Newspapers: Search full-text articles in the local Halton Hills newspaper archives. Publications include: Acton Free Press, Action Tanner, Georgetown Gemini, Georgetown Herald, Halton Hills This Week, Independent & Free Press, North Halton Compass.
  • Halton's Historical and Newspaper Records: Search cemetery, surrogate court and land records along with business directories for names and subjects in Halton Region.
  • Halton Images: A virtual gallery of historical photographs, books, drawings, maps, videos, audio recordings, and other media from Halton Region.
  • Halton News: Search for articles in the local newspapers archives of Burlington, Erin, Milton and Oakville.
Online databases and other resources
  • Early Canadiana Online: This is a virtual library with full-text historical content about Canada, including books, magazines, and government documents. The collections include Indigenous Studies, the Hudson's Bay Company, Women's History, and more.
  • Library and Archives Canada: The national Library and Archives for Canada provides access to historical census records, military history, Canadian university theses and dissertations, genealogy and family history documents, immigration records and more. Special digital exhibits are also featured.
  • OurOntario: A collection of over 2.2 million items and collections from libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, community groups, and government ministries, including contributions from the Halton Hills Public Library and the Esquesing Historical Society.