Alabama Archives and Libraries

United States Alabama  Archives and Libraries

These repositories preserve sources, maintain indexes, and provide services to help genealogists document their ancestors who lived in Alabama.

Wiki Articles on Major Repositories in Alabama
National Archives at Atlanta· Alabama Department of Archives and History· Alabama Historical Association· Auburn University Libraries· Birmingham Public Library· Florence-Lauderdale Public Library· Huntsville-Madison County Public Library· Mobile Municipal Archives· Mobile Public Library· Samford University Library· University of Alabama Libraries· Wallace State Community College Library· Dallas Public Central Library TX· Evans Memorial Library Aberdeen MS

National Repositories
National Archives at Atlanta 5780 Jonesboro Road Morrow, Georgia 30260 USA Phone: 770-968-2100 Fax: 770-968-2547 E-mail: [mailto:atlanta.archives@nara.gov atlanta.archives@nara.gov] Internet: National Archives at Atlanta


 * Records from over 100 federal agencies and courts in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Also includes Vice Admiralty Courts of SC, evolution of federal courts, Constitutional rights, Revolutionary War, Civil War, reconstruction, World Wars I and II, and space exploration. Microfilms for censuses, diplomatic missions, military service records, bounty-land applications, passenger arrival lists, naturalizations, American Indians, and African Americans.

Statewide Repositories
Alabama Department of Archives and History Mailing address: P.O. Box 300100 Street address: 624 Washington Avenue Montgomery, AL 36130-0100 USA Telephone: 334-242-4435 Fax: 334-240-3433 E-mail: [mailto:n.dupree@archives.alabama.gov n.dupree@archives.alabama.gov] Internet: Alabama Department of Archives and History


 * Start here if you are researching Alabama ancestors. Every county has local records such as marriages, deeds, and the associated indexes.


 * The Department of Archives and History (closed Mondays) has the following records: federal and state censuses; vital records (birth, death, marriage, and divorce); county records (deeds, wills, and other probate records); land, military, and military discharge records (DD214s); surname files; city directories; African-American records (Reconstruction to the present); American Indian records; and immigration and naturalization records.

Alabama Historical Association PO Box 456 Livingston, AL 35470 USA E-mail: [mailto:alabamahistory@gmail.com alabamahistory@gmail.com] Internet: Alabama Historical Association


 * Holds annual meetings and publishes The Alabama Review..

Regional Repositories
Auburn University Libraries RBD Library Special Collections Department 231 Mell Street Auburn University, AL 36849 USA Telephone: 334-844-4500 or 800-446-0387 E-mail: [mailto:askalibrarian@auburn.edu askalibrarian@auburn.edu] Internet: Genealogy


 * The R.B. Draughon library has a large genealogical collection including censuses, books and periodicals, local and state histories, family histories, passenger arrival lists, Confederate soldier lists, and genealogical website links.

Birmingham Public Library 2100 Park Place Birmingham, AL 35203 USA Telephone: 205-226-3665 E-mail: [mailto:askgenlocal@bham.lib.al.us askgenlocal@bham.lib.al.us] Internet: Birmingham Public Library online


 * Book, periodicals, maps, and family folders.

Florence-Lauderdale Public Library 350 N Wood Ave Florence, AL 35630 Telephone: 256-764-6564 E-mail: Contact us form Internet: Florence-Lauderdale Public Library


 * They have very good collections of American Civil War records, genealogy, and local history.

Huntsville-Madison County Public Library Special Collections 915 Monroe St SW Huntsville, AL 35801 USA Telephone: 256-532-5969 E-mail: [mailto:hhrdept@hmcpl.org hhrdept@hmcpl.org] Internet: Special Collections


 * This library has the best genealogical collection for Alabama families. It is a good place to start research for Alabama sources during any time period. They also have a good southern states collection.

Mobile Municipal Archives Mailing address: P.O. Box 1827 Street address: 457 Church Street Mobile, Alabama 36633-1827 USA Telephone: 251-208-7740 Fax: 251-208-7428 E-mail: [mailto:archives@cityofmobile.org archives@cityofmobile.org] Internet: http://www.cityofmobile.org/archives/ Municipal Archives


 * Includes records of early Alabama/Florida settlers: Spanish, French, and Anglo especially during the Spanish period. This is the premier library for Gulf Coast settlers from Louisiana to Florida.

Mobile Public Library Local History Dept. 704 Government Street Mobile, AL 36602-1499 USA Telephone: 334-208-7093 Fax: 334-208-5866 E-mail: [mailto:mpllhg@acan.net mpllhg@acan.net] Internet: Mobile Public Library Online


 * They have a very good genealogy department in its own separate building.

Samford University Library Special Collection Department 800 Lakeshore Drive Birmingham, AL 35229 USA Telephone: 205-726-2749 Fax: 205-726-2642 E-mail: [mailto:reference@samford.edu reference@samford.edu] Internet: Samford University Library


 * This is one of the finest collections in the South. They have both original and secondary sources primarily for Alabama and the Southeast USA. They also have a good Irish manuscript and local histories for Kerry and Cork. They have an especially strong Baptist collection including congregational and mission records, maps, local histories, genealogical periodicals, and newspapers.

University of Alabama Libraries Mailing address: P.O. Box 870266 Street address: Hoole Special Collections Library Mary Harmon Bryant Hall, 2nd floor 500 Hackberry Lane Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0266 USA Telephone: 205-348-0500 Fax: 205-348-1699 E-mail: [mailto:archives@bama.ua.edu archives@bama.ua.edu] Internet: University of Alabama Libraries


 * The Alabama Collection  strength is local and county history materials about Alabama and its history, life and culture, including the American Civil War. The Americana Collection  features books, manuscripts, newspapers, photographs, and artifacts from late 17th century to 2009 focused on Alabama, the American Civil War, presidential history, and the American South.

Wallace State Community College Library  Mailing address: P.O. Box 2000 Street address: 801 Main Street NW Hanceville AL, 35077-2000 USA Telephone: Library 256-352-8260, Genealogy 256-352-8263 E-mail: [mailto:library@wallacestate.edu library@wallacestate.edu] Internet: Wallace State Community College Library


 * The genealogy collection is centered on Alabama, its neighboring states, the Old South, Kentucky, the Civil War and Cherokee Indians. They have books, periodicals, microfilm, CD-ROM disks, computer programs, family folders, and access to 2.5 million Family History Library microfilms.

Outside of Alabama Repositories
Dallas Public Central Library 1515 Young St. Dallas, Texas 75201-9987 USA Telephone: 214-670-1400 E-mail: [mailto:genealogy@dallaslibrary.org genealogy@dallaslibrary.org] Internet: http://dallaslibrary2.org/genealogy/index.php


 * Outstanding genealogical collection with records for Texas, Oklahoma, the South including Alabama, Mid-Atlantic, and New England states.

Evans Memorial Library 105 North Long Street Aberdeen, Mississippi 39730 USA Telephone: 622-369-4601 Fax: 622-369-2971 E-mail: [mailto:eml@tombigbee.lib.ms.us eml@tombigbee.lib.ms.us] Internet: Evans Memorial Library


 * This is an outstanding regional library with records of the South, including Alabama oral histories, church records, newspapers, maps, military records, Chickasaw Indians, African Americans, fraternal histories, scrapbooks, manuscripts and photos.

Courthouse Fires
Fires or other disasters occurred in many county courthouses. If records are missing, you can often find substitute records such as cemetery records, censuses, church records, newspapers, Bible records, military service and pension records, delayed birth certificates, or records in neighboring counties that have similar information. See Burned Counties Research. Sometimes landowners re-registered their deeds after a courthouse fire. The following list shows when Alabama courthouses were damaged by fire or other disasters: