The following guides are available for consultation as you begin your research. For collection inventories and indexes to vertical files such as the Family Files and Newspaper Clipping Files, please see the Finding Aids page.
Genealogy and Library Guides:
Newspapers:
For an inventory of Kentucky and United States newspapers on microfilm in the Filson Library, click here.
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Our Collections department also has print issues of many historic newspapers; email gro.l1685997389aciro1685997389tsihn1685997389oslif1685997389@hcra1685997389eser1685997389 for more information.
Businesses:
Researching a Louisville business? Try searching our Louisville Business Index to find information on local firms.
Louisville Business Index [PDF]
Researching Your Home/Building:
Interested in learning the history of your home or building? These guides can help you get started! Click to open a PDF of each guide.
Joanne Weeter, Using City Directories to Determine the Date of Construction for Your Urban Structure, Historic Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission, Louisville, KY, revised 2015 [PDF]
Steve Wiser: Researching Your Home, revised 2020 [PDF] | Using LFPL’s Sanborn Maps [PDF] | Using LFPL’s Louisville Courier Journal Database [PDF]
Filson Staff Examples from Blog Posts [PDF]
Check out Filson staff member Danielle Spalenka presenting on how to research your home from July 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kndCi54snyU&t=62s
Louisville Maps and Atlases are another way to learn about the past ownership of property – see University of Louisville Digital Collections: Kentucky Maps [This link is currently down as the UL Digital Collections are transferred to a new site 4/22]
Looking more broadly than the Louisville area? Check out these resources to help you research nationwide! https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/a-guide-to-researching-the-history-of-a-house/ and https://www.raleighrealtyhomes.com/blog/house-history-and-genealogy.html
Digital Preservation and Personal Digital Archiving:
Resource guide with links for getting started on digital preservation and preserving your digital materials.
Personal Digital Archiving Resources guide [PDF]
