Reference & Research Assistance
Library staff are available to help you find the answers you need in person, online, or by calling (319) 291-4476.
Local History
Located on the second floor of the library, our Local History & Genealogy Room features:
- A microfilm reader with file saving, emailing, and printing capabilities
- Microfilm copies of the Waterloo Courier (1859-present), Waterloo Times-Tribune (1901-1922), Waterloo City Directories (1873-1991), and more
- A computer for genealogy research*
- Local & historical articles, books, Waterloo City Directories (1950-present) and more
*Patrons who wish to conduct research on the computer or use the microfilm computer must present their library card.
Genealogy Databases
Ancestry.com
![Ancestry.com logo](/sites/default/files/styles/db_image_style/public/2021-06/ancestry-library.png?itok=sCya7iE5)
Discover your family history and start your family tree.
This database may only be accessed inside the library.
Enslaved
![Enslaved logo: Peoples of the Historical Slave Trade](/sites/default/files/styles/db_image_style/public/2021-06/enslaved.png?itok=I6PIVrEN)
Explore or reconstruct the lives of individuals who were enslaved, owned slaves, or participated in the historical trade.
Fold3
![Fold3 logo](/sites/default/files/styles/db_image_style/public/2021-06/Fold3.png?itok=v6DuVmUo)
Access US military records including stories, photos, and personal documents.
Heritage Quest
![Heritage Quest logo](/sites/default/files/styles/db_image_style/public/2021-06/HeritageQuest-01.png?itok=SbU1uIUa)
Discover digital, searchable images of U.S. federal census records with the digitized version of the popular UMI® Genealogy and Local History book collection.
HeritageHub
![HeritageHub](/sites/default/files/styles/db_image_style/public/2021-11/Heritage%20Hub.png?itok=sK1I4UXv)
Provides comprehensive coverage of obituaries and death notices from 1704 through today.
Newspaper Archive
![Newspaper Archive logo](/sites/default/files/styles/db_image_style/public/2021-06/newspaperarchive-com-review.jpeg?itok=8PQAHH72)
Search newspaper archives for Obituary, Birth Records, Death Records.
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier Archives
![Courier Archives](/sites/default/files/styles/db_image_style/public/2022-02/Courier.jpg?itok=SOyh5Zj8)
Search Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier content from 2001 to present.