Genealogy
General Information
How to Request Copies
The staff of the Southern History Department will normally respond within 48
hours to written requests for information. Requests must be specific (i.e.
please send me a copy of pages 119-121 from The Georgia Black Book by
Robert Scott Davis). Unfortunately, our level of staffing does not allow us to
provide more extensive research nor to search microfilmed materials such as
censuses and military records.
There is a $5.00 research fee for each copy request, and we can send the copies to you by e-mail or mail. For electronic copies, we send your copies as an e-mail attachment in the PDF file format. Mailed photocopies cost additional 30¢ per page to cover the cost of the copies and postage. No more than 20
pages will be copied. Payment is due before copies are sent.
Requests should be mailed to:
- Southern History Department
- Birmingham Public Library
- 2100 Park Place
- Birmingham, AL 35203
or submit request online via
Ask A Librarian
(include mailing address with your request)
Requests for newspaper articles and obituaries:
Requests for copies of newspaper articles and obituaries are handled by our
Microforms Center and should be submitted via
Ask A Librarian. You will be contacted regarding
the availability, cost, and procedure for mailing pre-payment and requests for
these items.
A list of the holdings of microfilmed newspapers is available here.
For most of the listed titles, a compiled index is not available. Historical minority and speciality papers
were extracted from the master list and made available here.
Tips on Genealogical Research
Birmingham Public Library Genealogical Resources
Genealogy Classes and Workshops
Introduction to Genealogy
Want to learn how to do genealogical research? Come to this introductory class
that will help get you started on your genealogical journey. The staff in the
Southern History Department covers such topics as vital records, courthouse and
church records, and the Federal Census. You can browse the handout
to determine if this class is right for you. No registration is required. The same
content will be covered in each of the classes that are offered on either Wednesday
afternoon or one Saturday morning each month.
Classes are conducted in the Southern History Department, Birmingham Public Library,
First Floor, Linn-Henley Research Library. For more information, call (205) 226-3665.
Genealogy Computer Classes
The Southern History Department teaches several genealogy computer classes including Ancestry, Fold3, FamilySearch, FindMyPast and more. Please look at the RCLC's schedule to see what is being taught this month.
2019 Beyond the Basics of Genealogy Schedule
The Beyond the Basics of Genealogy (BtB) workshops cover various topics of genealogical
research and build upon the content covered in our Introduction to Genealogy class.
These workshops are offered throughout the year and are taught by the staff of the
Southern History Department and guest speakers.
Workshops are free of charge, but registration is requested. To register, contact the Southern History Department of the Birmingham Public Library at 205-226-3665 or online through the library's calendar.
Other Genealogical Resources
Soundex
Converter
The Soundex system is a method of indexing names in the 1880,
1900, 1910, and 1920 US Census. Soundex can also aid genealogists by identifying
spelling variations for a given surname. This form will return the soundex code
for the entered surname, plus other surnames/spellings sharing the same soundex
code.