Culture & History

Arts

This page lists selected sources of information on British Columbia Indigenous artists and their creative works.

Asian Canadian History

This guide will help you find materials in Vancouver Public Library on Asian Canadian history.

Back to China

Once you have succeeded in tracing your family's history in Canada, you may be interested in exploring your roots in China. You will find resources in this guide to help with that research.

Basics

Before you start interviewing family members and researching at the library or on the Internet, it is useful to learn about principles and methods used by genealogists.

Basics

In this section:

Getting Started

Information to help get you started with family history research.

Genealogy Charts

Using charts to record key details of your ancestors' lives.

Standards and Proof

Documenting your family history to create an authentic record.

Project Organization

Managing the genealogical paper flow.

Genealogy Software

Selecting specialty software to record data and track research.

Reading Old Records

Find resources to help you decipher old handwriting and terminology.

Family Histories

Checking to see if someone has already worked on a branch of your family tree.

Research at VPL

Prepare for

BC Civil Registration

Civil registration refers to birth, marriage, and death records collected by the government. The Vancouver Public Library holds microfilm copies of BC civil registration records that have been released to the public. This page explains how to access these records.

BC Coroners' Records

Information for access files for deaths investigated by the Coroners' Office.

Beyond Canada

The main focus of genealogy resources and services at the Vancouver Public Library is on B.C. and Canadian records, but there are also useful resources and services for those who are interested in tracing their roots in other countries.