Town & Village Guides 
Our Town and Village Guides cover a range of resources available for research and general interest on your local area.
West Sussex Past Pictures 
West Sussex Past Pictures has thousands of historical images from West Sussex Library Service and local museums for you to explore.
Battle of Britain Blog 
The Battle of Britain, fought mainly in the skies above Sussex and Kent, marks its 80th anniversary in 2020. Find out more in West Sussex Record Office's Battle of Britain blog.
Marian Frost 
Have you seen our blog about Marian Frost, the pioneering Victorian librarian of Worthing Library and Museum?
West Sussex Past Portal 
Visit our West Sussex Past Portal to explore our resources on topics including:
Great War West Sussex 1914-1918
Military Voices Past and Present
WW2 & VE Day 
Visit our VE Day and WW2 web page for a wide range of resources including photographs, audio clips from veterans, newspaper reports of the day, plus links to information from other organisations.
Family and Local History Trace your family history or investigate the history of where you live. We can help you get started with access to online family and local history resources including websites, maps and photographs.
Not a member? Join here
Ask A Librarian Our librarians are here to help answer your questions. If you have a family or local history enquiry fill in an Ask a Librarian form.
Through our free 30 minute enquiry service, we will respond to you with an answer to your query within 7 working days. This service is for everyone in West Sussex, not just library members.
Free Online Resources from West Sussex Libraries To access any of these resources from home, follow the link and where instructed enter your library card number.
The Enquiries Team are here to help with any queries.
Dictionary of National Biography is available to library members from home. It gives a huge amount of information on famous or notable people who shaped the history of the British Isles and beyond. It includes biographies of over 60,000 men and women who died in or before 2016.
Illustrated London News is available to library members from home. It was the world’s first fully illustrated weekly newspaper. The publication presented a vivid picture of British and world events — including news of war, disaster, ceremonies, the arts, and science — with coverage in the first issue ranging from the Great Fire of Hamburg to Queen Victoria’s fancy dress ball at Buckingham Palace.
Times Digital Archive (TDA) is available to library members from home. It is an online archive of more than 200 years of The Times, covering 1785 - 2014.
Who's Who and Who was Who is available to library members home. It is an encyclopaedia of influential and noteworthy people in all areas of public life. It includes authors, pop stars, royalty and many more.
National Library of Scotland Maps 
National Library of Scotland Maps
Digitised historical maps covering England and Wales as well as Scotland.
House History 
If you are researching the history of your house, the National Archives House Research Guide is a good place to start. West Sussex Record Office also have many sources to help with your investigations.
Family Search 
Family Search: free database including billions of indexed records from around the world including UK parish registers and census.
Genuki 
Genuki genealogical resources and links
Free virtual reference library of genealogical information for the UK and Ireland.
Billion Graves 
BillionGraves is the world's largest resource for searchable GPS cemetery data, based on images of headstones. You don't need to register in order to search and view basic information including images.
British History Online 
A digital library of key printed primary and secondary sources for the history of Britain.
Free BMD 
Transcriptions of the Civil Registration index of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales.
General Register Office 
Search their indexes and order birth, death and marriage certificates online (registration required).
Borrow eBooks 
You can now borrow e books about Sussex for free with your library card. Browse our Celebrate Sussex reading list and download books through our RB Digital Service.
eMagazines Who do you Think You Are and BBC History are both available from our eMagazines
The National Archives 
The National Archives is the official archive and publisher for the UK Government, and for England and Wales. Currently the National Archives are offering free access to digital records. Registered users will be able to order and download up to ten items at a time, to a maximum of 50 items over 30 days.
Cyndi's List 
eNewsletter We produce a quarterly email newsletter with news and information about researching your family tree.
Sign up for a copy
Past editions - click on the issue to view a copy
Staying Safe Online 
Don't forget to stay safe online. For the latest advice, guidance and information:
