Free resources from home, via your public library

Although many libraries are starting to re-open after an extended shutdown, they may still be offering free home access to internet resources by way of compensation for the closure.  These often include subscription websites that are of interest to family historians.

All that’s needed is an online account with the relevant library.  Check your local library’s website for information about the services they are making available remotely to their members. You may need to re-register online to take full advantage of their free resources, which could include one or more of the following:

Ancestry has a Library Edition which has proved a popular choice with public libraries.  Some services, such as those in Manchester and North Lanarkshire, have also partnered with Ancestry to give readers free access to records local to their areas, such as church or poor relief registers.

FindMyPast provides a similar service through some libraries’ websites.

SCRAN is a website from Historic Environment Scotland hosting audio and visual resources from museums, galleries, archives and the media around the UK.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography gives full access to subscribers, including those signing in with their local library’s credentials. 

For some of these websites, you can access their full content through a link on their home page that says something like “Sign in via your institution”.  Select your library’s name from the list that will appear (if you don’t see your library listed, it doesn’t provide access to that particular resource).  You will then be able to sign in with your own library account number and passcode.

A multitude of digital resources are available at home, free of charge, to all residents of Scotland, through the National Library’s website.  They include several newspaper databases such as the Times, the Scotsman, and the British Library Collections, as well as the excellent British Newspaper Archive.  Some of the sites restrict the number of NLS users that can access them at one time, but these are clearly indicated on the list of websites.  

Normally you would need to either have your own subscription or a university library account to use many of these resources, so it is well worth registering for an NLS account if you live in Scotland.  If you don’t live in Scotland, though, don’t despair; many of the Library’s online treasures are free on the open web, such as their Maps collection or the Moving Image Archive. 

Finally, if you’re disappointed with the lack of such resources through your local library, why not petition the powers that be to provide them?  You can find information online about products such as FindMyPast’s Community Edition, and pass on your suggestions to a librarian.  Alternatively, if you use and are happy with your library's digital services, give them positive feedback and encourage them to continue providing remote access after normal opening hours are resumed.  This may be especially important if library services are considering cutting back opening times in the near future.