Research Resources

Lincoln City Libraries offers a wide variety of genealogy resources, including published indexes, cemetery records, college yearbooks, local histories, biographical works, and other specialized research materials. Researchers will find resources such as Alba-Brown Mortuary Records (1921–1965), Alphabetical Index of Rural Residents and Family Members as Listed in the Atlas of Lancaster County, Nebraska (1921), Cemeteries in Lancaster County, Nebraska (8 volumes), College Yearbooks (Cornhusker, Coyote, Golden Cord, Plainsman, Sombrero, and others), Golden Weddings of Nebraskans (1930–1970), Guide to the Ghosts of Lincoln, The Hickman-Enterprise Index (1901–1903), An Index to the Early Marriage Records of Lancaster County (1866–1906), An Index to Selected Information from the Lincoln Evening News (1903–1905), Index for the Plat Book of Lancaster County (1903), Lincoln City Guide (1937), Pen and Sunlight Sketches of Lincoln (1892), Perkey's Nebraska Place Names, Portrait and Biographical Album of Lancaster County, Nebraska (1888), Sunday Journal and Star Issues Historical Index for Lincoln Centennial (1970), Who's Who in Lincoln (1928), Who's Who in Nebraska (1940 and 1976), and Wyuka Cemetery: A Driving & Walking Tour by Ed Zimmer.

The Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors preserves books by and about Nebraska authors, including local histories, along with unpublished manuscripts, correspondence, biographical and career files, photographs, audio and video recordings, original artwork, and other memorabilia documenting the lives and creative work of Nebraska writers. These collections provide valuable historical and biographical context for researchers interested in Nebraska people, communities, and history.

The Local History Center at Bennett Martin Public Library features materials with a focus on Nebraska history, and Lincoln in particular. Genealogists will find Lincoln City Directories on microfilm dating back to 1873, often called the "annual census" because they help track individuals between federal census years through addresses, occupations, and other valuable information. The Local History Center also provides access to digitized Lincoln Public Schools yearbooks, offering photographs, student activities, and other details that help bring family history to life.

Lincoln City Libraries provides access to online genealogy resources that can help you research your family history. Ancestry Library Edition, available for on-site use at the library, includes billions of census, vital, military, immigration, and other historical records. MyHeritage Library Edition provides access to historical records, newspapers, and family trees from around the world. ArchiveGrid helps researchers locate archival collections, family papers, photographs, church records, manuscripts, and other unique historical materials held by libraries, museums, and archives worldwide.

Lincoln City Libraries maintains several unique research collections at Bennett Martin Public Library. The Vertical File Collection contains more than 1,300 subject files of newspaper clippings and other materials, primarily from Lincoln newspapers dating from the 1930s through the 1990s. Researchers can also access a special collection of newspaper clippings related to Air Force Base Lincoln. Those interested in the Charles Starkweather case will find two additional specialized collections: the Starkweather-Fugate Press Clippings (1958–1973) on microfilm and the Starkweather Clippings Box, an indexed collection of photocopied newspaper articles from Lincoln, Omaha, and other sources.

Lincoln City Libraries provides access to newspaper collections in both online and microfilm formats. The Lincoln Journal Star is available online from 1996 to the present, and the Omaha World-Herald is available online from 1983 to the present with a Lincoln City Libraries library card. Additional Lincoln newspapers dating back to 1867 are available on microfilm for use in the library. Newspapers are an invaluable resource for locating obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, legal notices, and articles that help document the lives of individuals and communities.

Originally created for the fire insurance industry, Sanborn Maps show streets, building footprints, property use, and neighborhood development, helping genealogists identify ancestral homes, businesses, churches, schools, and the communities where their ancestors lived. Lincoln City Libraries provides online access to Sanborn Maps of Nebraska communities from 1883 through 1962, available remotely with a Lincoln City Libraries library card.