Newspaper Look-ups (Obituaries, etc.)
On-site access to Atlantic City newspapers is available whenever the Library is open. To locate the date of an article from 1984 to the present, researchers are encouraged to use the Online Local News Index. Tip: do a subject search for the person's name - last name, first name.
The Library has The Press of Atlantic City from 1895 (with a few exceptions) on microfilm. There are also other area newspapers available on microfilm. The Library also has Newsbank, a full-text searchable database of The Press, from 1988 to the present, and this is available on-site only.
If you are not able to visit on-site, limited research assistance is available for a fee.
- The Press of Atlantic CityFull-text articles from 1988 to the present are available online for a fee.
NJ Vital Records
For information on obtaining a copy of a vital record certificate of an event that occurred in Atlantic City (birth, death, marriage, or domestic partnership), please refer to the following websites.
- Vital Records in New JerseyFor an event that occurred after April 1878
- New Jersey State ArchivesFor an event that occurred after April 1848 and before May 1878.
- The City of Atlantic City Bureau of Vital StatisticsThe City of Atlantic City Bureau of Vital Statistics also has records on file for births (1903 – present), deaths (1921-present), and marriages (1921-present).
Local History Materials
The library maintains clippings files on topics related to Atlantic City and local history, as well as archival collections, books, and other unique resources. Please contact the Atlantic City Heritage Collections staff for more information about these.
- Census RecordsFederal Population Census years available on microfilm: 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 (federal census returns are released 72 years after the date; 1940 census returns should be available in 2012)
Civil War Veterans and their Widows (special schedule from 1890 Federal Population Census)
New Jersey State Census years available: 1855, 1865, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915 - Atlantic City Census 1885All database entries include the first and last name of every person listed on the census returns. The entries for Atlantic City include additional demographic data: age range, sex and race.
- Atlantic City MapsMaps from the 1870s-present. Some maps list property owners and describe buildings present.
Books Not to Miss
- Atlantic City Directories1872-present (with some exceptions)
- The Herald: Atlantic City High School Year Book1904-present (with some exceptions)
- South Jersey: a history, 1664-1924 byIncludes three volumes of biographical sketches of South Jersey residents.
Patents and deeds and other early records of New Jersey, 1664-1703 by Documents relating to the colonial, Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary history of the state of New Jersey.
Use the Atlantic City Heritage Collections
If you are interested in doing historical research about Atlantic City, consider using the Atlantic City Free Public Library's Atlantic City Heritage Collections.
Because some of the items in the collection are fragile or irreplaceable, the Alfred M. Heston Research Room is a closed-stack area with access provided only by Library personnel by appointment only. Researchers must register and present a form of photo identification to see materials. Researchers must also agree to follow certain rules for the use of archival materials, which will be explained when the researcher arrives.
To request an appointment, contact the Atlantic City Heritage Collections staff by email or phone at least 1 business day in advance and receive confirmation of the appointment before arriving.
Other Research Sites
- Atlantic County Historical SocietyThe library's card catalog offers over 85,000 references to books, newspapers, family bibles, photos, maps, and historical and genealogical documents.
- New Jersey Historical SocietyThe library collections contain manuscripts, reference books and rare books, photographs, maps, broadsides, pamphlets, mass-produced prints and other materials that document the cultural and historical heritage of New Jersey from the colonial era through the 20th century.
- New Jersey State ArchivesCurrent holdings amount to over 37,000 cubic feet of paper records and over 32,000 reels of microfilm. Located at 225 West State Street in downtown Trenton
- NJ Archives Searchable DatabasesSearchable databases include: marriage records, death records, legal name changes, Civil War records, World War I casualties, and Department of Agriculture photographs.
- NJ State Library: Genealogy and Local HistoryCity directories, Sanborn maps, family genealogies, WWI Draft Registration for New Jersey, over 70 genealogy periodicals and much more.
- Archibald S. Alexander Library (Rutger's)In addition to the Libraries' own New Jersey holdings, the collection includes the papers of the New Jersey Daughters of the American Revolution and the papers of the Genealogical Society of New Jersey. Available material includes transcriptions of family Bible records, gravestone inscriptions, church records, papers and genealogical compilations on New Jersey families, and many other printed materials.
Independent Researchers
If you are not able to visit in person to conduct your researcher, you should consider sending a researcher. Here are a few places that provide researchers. ACFPL does not vet or recommend a particualar site or researcher.
- Random Acts of Genealogical KindnessRandom Acts of Genealogical Kindness has a list of volunteers who agree to do certain types of genealogy look-ups. Read the site information carefully before entering into any agreements.
- MyGenealogist.comMyGenealogist.com employs genealogists who conduct research in New Jersey.
- Genealogical Society of New JerseyThis list of professional genealogists researching in the New Jersey area is provided by the Genealogical Society of New Jersey as a public service to the genealogical community.