New Westminster Public Library

The Library does maintain a modest collection of books and other items focused on the history and development of New Westminster and the surrounding region. These items can be accessed through our online catalogue.

To learn more about the history of the Library itself, check out its timeline.

Newspapers

Researchers can access online resources, available here, such as B.C. Historical Newspapers and Canadian Newsstream.

Ancestry.com

The Library subscribes to the Ancestry.com online genealogical service. Ancestry contains over 4 billion names in various historical records from around the world. Ancestry for Libraries, available here, is free of charge with a valid library card, but can only be accessed from within the Library, either from a computer on the library’s network or from a device using the city’s Wi-Fi network.

External genealogical resources

In addition to the local resources available, there’s more local content to be discovered from other institutions: New Westminster Museum and Archives, BC Archives and Library and Archives Canada are all useful tools for exploring historical figures both locally, provincially, and country-wide.