Findmypast Ireland provides access to Prison Registers 1790-1924

The subscription database Findmypast Ireland has added a new series of records that offer a great new resource for family historians with an Irish background.

Irish Prison records are a key source for tracing family history because they record such a huge volume of prisoners, their relatives and in many cases their victims. This dataset is compiled from the collection housed in the National Archives of Ireland and covers most surviving records for prisons in the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland. In total there are 2.7 million records, with information on over 3.5 million people. Please note that the database can only be used within the State Library building. To access, simply type Findmypast into our online catalogue or click on the logo above.

New Irish family history database at the State Library

Findmypast Ireland

The great news for those with Irish ancestors is that we now have a new database at the State Library – Findmypast Ireland.

It includes indexes to wills, a large collection of directories, cemetery transcriptions, land records and much more. Used together with the Irish Newspaper Archives, family historians now have access to more online resources for Ireland than ever before. Please note that the database can only be used within the State Library building. To access, simply type Findmypast into our online catalogue or click on the logo above.

Happy hunting!

Findmypast is back

Great news!
The State Library now has a subscription to both Findmypast UK and Findmypast Australasia following a trial earlier this year.

Please see my previous post for a reminder of some of the highlights of these family history subscription sites which are available within the State Library.

So head into the Library for free access to Findmypast as well as Ancestry and a range of other family history databases.

Findmypast family history database available on trial

The State Library currently has a trial subscription to the family history database, Findmypast, which will be available within the Library building until 22 February.

To access this database, go to our online catalogue and type findmypast in the keyword search box or access from our Family History Databases page. There are two separate databases; one with Australasian content and one with UK content.

The Australasian database includes post office directories, electoral rolls, police gazettes, government gazettes, cemetery records and more. Have a browse under Search Records to see what is available for each state and for New Zealand.

The UK content includes census and birth, marriage and death records for England and Wales. These can be a useful alternative if you have been unable to find your ancestor on Ancestry library edition.

Please note that the UK census collection includes the 1911 Census for England and Wales. This is the first time that this particular census has been available at the Library.

Under the heading Migration you will find the outgoing passenger lists for the UK from 1890 to 1960. These were previously available to search on the Ancestors on Board website but, as part of this trial, you will now be able to view the digitised images of the passenger lists.

Please note that the Chelsea Pensioner records are searchable but the digital records are not available as part of the trial. Please make the most of this trial and we welcome any comments.

3 more new electronic resources at the State Library

Next time you’re visiting the State Library why not take the opportunity to view this latest batch of new electronic resources! All are available from the library catalogue terminals and from our public pcs (bookings required for public pcs). Click on the links for more information about each resource:

• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
• Oxford English Dictionary
• Grove Art Online

Remember you can only access these when using computers in the State Library building. Enjoy!

New e-books and databases at the State Library

If you’re visiting the State Library why not take the opportunity to view these new electronic resources!  All are available from the library catalogue terminals and from our public pcs (bookings required for public pcs).  Click on the links for more information about each resource:

• Australian local government guide
• Berg fashion library
• Directory of Australian associations
• Margaret Gee’s media guide
• National guide to government
• Oxford dictionaries online
• Oxford history of western music
• Who’s who in Australia
• Who’s who in business in Australia
• Who’s who of Australian women

Remember you can only access these when using computers in the State Library building.  Enjoy!

Two new databases for family and social history

Princess Royal Harbour, King George's Sound

The State Library has purchased subscriptions to two new electronic databases. One is the Illustrated London News which covers the period 1842 to 2003. This publication, which reported both British and world events, is a wonderful addition to our collection and will prove useful for both historians and genealogists. Pictured here is an image of Albany which featured on page 13 of the Illustrated London News for January 7, 1865.

In great news for those with Irish ancestry, the other new addition is the Irish Newspaper Archives. This has 18 newspapers from all over Ireland with the earliest newspaper, Freeman’s Journal, dating back to 1763. The database will continue to grow with more newspapers to be added in the near future.

Both databases can be accessed within the State Library building as part of our Family History E-Resources.

More than just Google – free workshops at the State Library

SEaK – Search Engage and Know
Do you feel lost on the information highway?
Don’t know where to start looking for information?
Feel intimidated by the library or the internet?

The State Library has a range of free, practical hands-on workshops where you can improve your research skills and get internet search tips and tricks. All sessions are designed to give you a head start in uncovering the wealth of information available in the Library’s collections and online.

For full details visit the State Library website.

Four new databases available at the State Library

Hooray, we have four new databases available for your delectation! 

1. Literature Resource Center : Information on authors and their works in all genres and disciplines, from all time periods and from around the world using the world’s most current, comprehensive, and reliable online literature resource.
2. Biography Resource Center : An authoritative resource for biographies on notable figures in literature, science, history, government, business, art, religion, entertainment and sports
3. Science Resource Center : Millions of full-text articles on hundreds of topics from over 200 magazines and academic journals along with thousands of topic overviews, experiments, biographies, pictures, illustrations and links to quality web sites.
4. Health and Wellness Resource Center : Full-text authoritative information from journals and reference books covering health, fitness and nutrition.  (This database is also available as a Database from Home)

Click on the title links to go to the catalogue record with additional information for each resource.  To access the databases you will need to visit us at the State Library  as access is limited to those searching within the State Library building (except for the Health and Wellness Resource Center).   To book a PC you will  need to register for a free mylibrary card.  You can search for the databases in our catalogue or you can navigate to them from the Electronic Resources section of our website!

Three new databases at the State Library of WA

If you are visiting the State Library soon you may wish to try our newest electronic resources (only available within the State Library building) :

MaquarieNet – Australia’s Online Reference Library:

For students, teachers and general users. Its broad and diverse collection of resources includes interactive maps,a range of Macquarie dictionaries,daily ABC news feeds, images and interactive Learning Trails

Art & Architecture Complete

 Covering a wide variety of pertinent subjects, including antiques, art and art history, interior and landscape design, and much more,  Art and Achitecture provides full-text coverage of more than 250 periodicals and 150 books

Naxos Jazz Music Library

One of the the most comprehensive collection of Jazz music available online offering close to 22,600 tracks of jazz from over 2,300 albums.
*Headphones are required to use this database and are available to purchase from the bookshop on the ground floor of the library.

Remember – these databases are only be available within the  library – you need to register with the library to access and book library computers.  Access the databases from our Electronic Resources pages.