This research facility for genealogy and local history contains a wealth of source materials on the City of London and Middlesex County, such as: books, diaries & manuscripts, minutes, maps, photographs and other memorabilia, and selected municipal documents.
For those conducting family history research, collection emphasis is southwestern Ontario and includes: census information, cemetery transcriptions, vital statistics indexes, birth/marriage/death records, passenger lists, and family histories.
Items in the London Room collection can not be checked out.
The London Room is open when the Central Library is open.
History of your House
Want to know who has lived in your house before you? Learn interesting details about the houses all around London!
Genealogy
Research and discover interesting details about your family history and so much more!
Historic London Photos
London Public Library provides access to images and indexes from its local history collection, including those housed in the London Room.
Local Historic Sites
The Historic Sites Committee of the London Public Library Board identifies and marks historic buildings, places, and people of local significance.
Local History Resources in the Community
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Glencoe and District Historical Society
Located in the town of Glencoe Ontario, the Glencoe & District Historical Society was formed in 1978 and has been an intricate part of the community these many years. The promotion of local history, genealogy, and the preservation of historical documents are among the primary objectives of the society.
Archives & Research Collections, Western Archives
The Archives and Research Collections Centre contains primary and secondary sources pertaining to London and Middlesex County and the surrounding counties in southwestern Ontario especially Elgin, Huron, Lambton and Oxford. An in-house catalogue provides access to manuscript collections, many of which have finding aids.
London & Middlesex Historical Society
The Society has been promoting the awareness of local history and encouraging historical research since 1901. Their website includes information on upcoming programmes and a list of heritage articles written by Society members.
Middlesex Centre Archives
The mandate of this archives is to acquire, preserve and make available to the public, records of enduring value to Middlesex Centre and to the former townships of Delaware, Lobo and London.
Strathroy & District Historical Society
The Strathroy and District Historical Society was formed in 2008.The Society primarily focuses on local history in Strathroy-Caradoc and surrounding areas including Adelaide-Metcalfe.
Westminster Township Historical Society
The Society's mandate is to promote the local history and preserve the historical documents of Westminster Township
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The Map and Data Centre at Western Libraries, Western University, currently holds over 400 fire insurance plans, 2,065 atlases and over 222,000 paper maps. The centre houses the following online versions for the city of London:
- aerial photographs - 1922, 1942, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970-72, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1989, 1993, 1998, 2001
- fire insurance plans - 1881 (revised 1888), 1892 (revised 1907) and 1912 (revised 1915, 1922)
- geodetic maps - 1926 and 1957
There are also over 900 fire insurance plans housed in the Western Archives.