Researching your house’s history, delving into genealogy, or exploring Kansas’s storied past? We have a rich collection of digital and print resources for you.
Not sure where to start?
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Have Old Newspapers?
Newspapers are a treasure trove for all kinds of research questions! Here’s a guide to the newspaper resources we have available.
How Do I Research My House?
Researching a house or property and not sure where to start? Here are some tips for piecing together the story behind the place.
Strike library gold with ‘Lucky Day’ copies of popular media
Mar 14, 2025
Stumble upon Lucky Day copies of the library's most popular, new books, movies, and more!
Recommended Online Resources
Digital Douglas County History
Your spot for Douglas County history, featuring a growing collection of photographs, genealogy resources, and oral histories.
Ancestry Library Edition
Extensive online genealogy and historical database. Accessible only in the library.
HeritageQuest
Genealogy resource to search federal census records (1790-1950), city directories, immigration records, and more.
Fold3 Library Edition
Provides convenient access to US military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.
Recommended Online Resources
NewspaperARCHIVE
Explore 15,837+ current and historical newspaper titles! Get full-text, keyword-searchable access to papers from across the US and world.
Kansas Digital Newspaper Program
Over 3 million historic Kansas newspapers freely available to Kansas residents.
Chronicling America
Searchable U.S. Newspaper Directory and free access to digitized historic Kansas and U.S. newspapers (such as the Kansas Herald of Freedom).
Lawrence Journal-World Archives (via Google News Archive)
Scanned images of Lawrence Journal-World printed newspapers, 1911 to 2009. Some issues not available.
Recommended Online Resources
Kansas Memory
A statewide selection of digitized Kansas maps, photographs, and other documents from the collections of the Kansas Historical Society.
Sanborn Maps (1867-1970)
A vital resource for anyone researching the history of a home or building.
Searchable Cemetery Records for Lawrence, KS
Maintained by the City of Lawrence, this resource allows researchers to locate burial plots within the City’s cemeteries.
Kaw Valley Jukebox: Local Music Anywhere
A digital archive of vital local music history from Lawrence and Northeast Kansas. Stream your faves, discover new music, or submit your EP.
Research and Preserve Your History
Osma Local History Room
LPL's local history room houses materials about the history of Lawrence and Douglas County, as well as resources for genealogical research.
DIY Memory Lab
Two workstations for digitizing legacy analog media and scanning photos and documents.
LPL S+V Studio: Record, Edit, and Create!
Want to start a podcast, film an interview, or produce your band’s album? This free library resource meets all of your audio-visual needs.
Audio-Visual Tool Collection for DIY Digitization
Check out a DIY kit to digitize VHS and audio cassettes, scan your old film slides, record audio and video — and more!
Related Reading
Still not sure where to look, or just not finding what you are looking for? We’re happy to help! Give us a call at 785-843-3833, chat us during business hours or email us anytime, or–if you need one-on-one research help–make an appointment with a librarian.
Melissa Fisher Isaacs
Information Services Supervisor
mfisherisaacs (at) lplks.org