Genealogy Resources

With the closure of many libraries around the state due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, The Alabama Public Library Service is working with its vendors to provide Alabamians temporary access to several different online resources, including Ancestry.com: https://aplsws1.apls.state.al.us/aplsnew/web/content/electronic

Call the front desk for the password! (256) 232-1233

The Shelby Southard History Room

The Shelby Southard History Room of the Athens-Limestone County Public Library focuses on genealogical research, Limestone County history, and Alabama history. The collection includes a wide variety of materials made up of census records, marriage records, and family documents.

The books in the Alabama Collection cannot be checked out, but you are able to make copies of pages by using the Library’s copy center. For more information, please contact the Library staff at (256) 232-1233.

Obituaries

The library has obituaries curated from the Athens News Courier dating back to 1994. If you are seeking obituaries prior to 1994, please see the Limestone County Archives or www.findagrave.com.

Vertical Files and Periodicals

The library encourages patrons to look through the Shelby Southard History Room’s vertical files and periodicals. The vertical files include newspaper articles on historical municipal events and family files for genealogical research. The library also has an assortment of magazines and periodicals. Below is a partial list of the periodicals in the history room:

Alabama Heritage
The Alabama Historical Quarterly
The Alabama Review
The Alabama Valley Leaves
Daughters of American Revolution Magazine
Journal of Southern History
Limestone Legacy
Natchez Trace Traveler
United Daughters of the Confederacy
Virginia Magazine of History and Biography

Free Online Resources

Alabama Department of Archives and History – Includes local government and country records.
AlabamaMosiac – Archive of digital material of Alabama’s culture and history.
Encyclopedia of Alabama – free, online reference resource on Alabama’s history, culture, geography, and natural environment.
FamilySearch – Access to genealogical records and family trees.
Find a Grave – Cemetery records and obituaries.
Limestone County Archives – Has over 6,000 books and files dating back to 1818 of Alabama and Limestone County.
National Archives – Access Federal records, veteran’s records, and teaching resources.
The USGenWeb Project – A comprehensive genealogical database of each state in the United States.
University of Alabama’s Historical Map Archive – Database includes a wide variety of American and Alabama maps.

B&W photo shows the Coble family in the front yard of their home at 818 Brownsferry Street around 1929. Other photos by ALCPL staff.