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Reference Library
For members of Leicestershire Libraries. Online reference library for books and authors, reference books and dictionaries, access to research, business information and consumer advice, Driving Theory Test, and local and family history.
Local and Family History
At some libraries one-to-one and group taster sessions are available with volunteers and members of staff. Contact your library for details.
Family History
The following services provide access to UK Census records, military and armed forces records, emigration records and many other records.
Ancestry Library Edition (ALE)
- Login from a Leicestershire library
- Access Ancestry Library Edition from Home - Login using your library card number and PIN and select ‘Ancestry Library Edition’ from the homepage. This access is for Leicestershire library members only and is temporary while libraries are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Find My Past Library Edition
- Login from a Leicestershire library
- Access Findmypast Library Edition from Home Login using your library card number and PIN and select ‘Findmypast Library Edition’ from the homepage. Use the username & password details provided to log in to Findmypast. This access is for Leicestershire library members only and is temporary while libraries are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This provides full access to the records you can normally view online in libraries, however please note:
These details are for library use only and should under no circumstances be shared publicly
It is not possible to log into your personal Findmypast account as you would when using Findmypast in a library
For privacy reasons, please do not start or update your own family trees using this account. Instead please register/sign into your own personal account with Findmypast but please note that this will require your own purchase of a subscription or credits to access hints and records within your own account.
Local History
Leicestershire libraries have materials about the individual local history of a town or village, which are available on a self-serve basis. Some of it may not be on display so please ask a member of library staff. Loughborough library has a dedicated local search volunteer to provide assistance.
Major local studies collections are available at the following libraries:
Charges apply for some services, in line with Record Office pricing:
- Photocopying of reference stock (assisted): 50p per black and white A4 sheet, £1 per colour A4 sheet
- Photograph permit, 1 day: £7.50
- Research: 30 minutes £15, 1 hour: £25
British Newspaper Archive: Community Edition
Documents and records
- Record Office - extensive archives and full research services
- Order birth, marriage, death and civil partnership certificates for Leicestershire
- Order birth, marriage and death certificates for outside Leicestershire (G.R.O.)
- The First World War Poetry Digital Archive - free access
We welcome donations of items which record the life and history of Leicestershire and its people. These ensure that the collections continue to expand, and present day life becomes tomorrow's local history.