Genealogical Resources

Ancestry Library Edition is a comprehensive online source of information for conducting genealogical research. It includes searchable images of U.S. federal census records, the Social Security Death Index, and a variety of vital, church, court, and immigration records. This database is for in-library use only.
Tennessee Records are available through the State Library and Archives. You will need to create a free account with Ancestry.com to view images. Only these records can be viewed outside the library on Ancestry.com. The following data collections are included:

City Birth Records, 1881-1915
City Death Records, 1872-1923
Death Records, 1908-1958
Delayed Birth Records, 1869-1909
Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895
Enumeration of Male Voters, 1891
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Nashville Tennessean (1812-current)

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is pleased to announce that Tennesseans will have free online access to the full run of The Tennessean (1812 to today) through the Tennessean Electronic Library (TEL). Sourced from the collection of Tennessee State Library and Archives. Reproduced with permission. (From outside the library, use Login ID: linebaughpl and password: 37130).
Our Historical Research Center is excited to offer the First Families of Rutherford County, Tennessee Certificate Program. Any person directly descended from a pre-1850 first family of the county is welcome to apply for this historical and lasting remembrance of his/her family history. Click here to learn more.
HeritageQuest Online is one of America’s favorite tools for researching genealogy.

Click HERE to use HeritageQuest on a computer outside of the library. You will need to enter your library card number.
Click HERE to access the digital archives of the Daily News Journal, the Carrier’s Courier (Sewart Air Force Base newspaper 1949-1968), the Rutherford Courier newspaper (1931-2005), the Morning Press (also called Murfreesboro Press) (1978-1983), and the Murfreesboro Post (2006-2018). This resource is for in-library use only.

Newspapers.com–Southeast Edition
Read historic and current newspapers from all around the southeastern region of the United States. 1766 – present
Digital Library of Tennessee (DLTN) brings together more than 80,000 unique cultural heritage resources from libraries, archives, and museums in the state of Tennessee. DLTN highlights historical narratives, such as the state’s pivotal role in the ratification of the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution which gave women the right to vote; and primary source formats, including maps, musical performances, photographs, newspapers, postcards, and oral histories.

The website centralizes access to rich, hard-to-find resources in Tennessee and is intended for everyone: K-12 educators, scholarly researchers, local historians, and the general public.
With FamilySearch, you can search billions of ancestor profiles, photographs, and historical documents at once—absolutely FREE. Just create your account and get started.

Want more resources? In-house use at any of our library branches will offer access to certain restricted materials.