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Using the Library Catalogue

Men with babies, VPL #19039, no date, Philip Timms.
Men with babies, VPL #19039, no date, Philip Timms.

Use the following search tips for identifying potentially useful genealogical resources in our collections. For additional information on how get the best results from our online catalogue, see these instructions on Searching and Filtering.

Keyword Searching

Our catalogue allows you to search by keyword. Choose a term from the following list when entering your search strategy. For specific results, use the selected term in combination with geographical limiters (see the next tab).

  • Baptismal records
  • Bibliography genealogy
  • Census 1891 [or other year]

Note that it is important to restrict a search for census material to a specific year. Otherwise, your search results may include statistical compilations and reports from recent census enumerations, which do not include any individual details.

  • Cemeteries
  • Church records registers
  • Death notices
  • Directories
  • Genealogy
  • History
  • Inscriptions
  • Land records
  • Marriage records
  • Metis genealogy
  • Newspapers
  • Obituaries
  • Registers births
  • Ships passenger lists
  • Voting registers
  • Wills

Geographic Limiters

Geographical limiters may be used in keyword searching, as indicated below:

Province e.g. New Brunswick
County e.g. Carleton
Town, Village, Hamlet, or Township e.g. Montague

Abbreviations

Some place names are quite common. For example, there are several Victorias in Canada:
  • Victoria, B.C. (city)
  • Victoria, N.B. (county)
  • Victoria, Newfoundland (town)
  • Victoria, Ontario (county)
  • Victoria, P.E.I. (village)
To achieve the most relevant results, include provincial and territorial names or abbreviations as part of your search strategy when looking for information relating to counties, cities, towns, villages,or townships. It is recommended that you start by using the full name of the province or territory. Then repeat the search, substituting one of the abbreviations in the list below:
 
Alberta Alta. Nunavut no abbreviation
British Columbia B.C. Ontario Ont.
Manitoba Man. Prince Edward Island P.E.I.
New Brunswick N.B. Quebec Que.
Newfoundland Nfld. Saskatchewan Sask.
Northwest Territories N.W.T. Yukon Y.T.
Nova Scotia N.S.    

Sample Search Strategies

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