LIBRARIES
If you are researching genealogy in Broward County Florida, then you will wish to become familiar with the various resources offered through the library systems.
The Library system of Broward County is made up of numerous Branch and Regional Libraries.
Main Library in downtown Ft. Lauderdale and the Regional Libraries are the most useful for
research. Main Library has numerous books & resources, as well as two extensive computerized libraries, which are also
accessible from the Regional Libraries. The Library Catalog is accessible for residents online.
Library card holders may use computers for access to these features. They may also browse the library catalog online
& request books available at other branches. Resources not available in Broward County may be requested through the
interlibrary loan system.
At the library, you will be asked to enter your library card number at a kiosk which assigns times for usage. Requests can
be made for standing only computer stations, or for ones with chairs & printers. Time periods start at 30 minutes during
peak hours & are renewable if there is no waitlist. If you are not a library card holder, contact the reference desk at
the libraries for temporary access to the reference databases. You will be asked to show identification for this privilege.
Directories, Newspapers & Other References
The Reference Desk can perform obituary look-ups and maintains newspapers & city directories useful for genealogical research.
Family History Centers Over 4,000
Family History Centers are maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) and provide valuable resources for
researching genealogy. The main Family History Center is in Salt Lake City, Utah, but we are fortunate to have two centers in Broward
County where you can use use the computers and order reels of genealogical records. Please see the
LDS website for more information.
- Coral Springs (10148 North West 31st St)
- Plantation (851 NW 112 Ave/Old Hiatus Rd)
Since Broward County was formed from Dade & Palm Beach Counties, you may wish to consult libraries from our neighboring counties.
| Florida County | Formed | Notes |
| Dade | 4 Feb 1836 | |
| Palm Beach | 30 Apr 1909 | Formed from part of Dade County |
| Broward | 30 Apr 1915 | Formed from Dade & Palm Beach |
| Miami-Dade | 13 Nov 1997 | Name change from Dade County |
OTHER RESOURCES
Broward County Historical Commission (large collection of Florida references & microfilm)
Florida Atlantic University (includes issues of the Broward Legacy online)
Fort Lauderdale Historical Society/Hoch Heritage Center (Florida references)
Genealogical Society of Greater Miami (located with Miami-Dade Public Library System)
Palm Beach County Genealogical Society Library (over 11,000 genealogy references)
Palm Beach Library System
The Jewish Geneaogical Society of Broward County maintains a genealogical library pertaining to Jewish research
at the Soref Center in Plantation, FL. Please see their webpage for details.
Parkland Library, an independent library of Broward County, no longer houses
genealogical references. However, you may be able to access genealogy databases. Contact the library for details.
Ancestry.com© - Ancestry.com has numerous databases dedicated to census records, military, court documents,
birth, marriage & death records, immigration records, family & local histories, periodicals & newspapers, directories & more!
Heritage Quest© - Heritage Quest© is a ProQuest Company & is the largest genealogical
data provider in the US. They feature over 250,000 titles and offer access to census documents, biographical references and more.