Douglas County Library archive protects history’s future

If you are interested in local history, genealogy, or preserving your family memories, the Archives and Local History department of Douglas County Libraries is here to help.  

Many people don’t know what to do with aging materials that have been gathering dust. Archives staff can help you find the best ways to preserve these family treasures. We can also help you evaluate whether your material would be a good fit for our collection or another archive.

Donating material to archives gives the items the best chance of surviving for generations to come. You can learn about our donation policies at archives.dcl.org/digital/custom/donate. 

We are also dedicated to assisting patrons with all types of reference questions about local and regional history. Our materials include rare books, maps, aerial photographs, images, oral histories, collections from local residents, and collections about local history. You can explore some of our offerings at archives.dcl.org.  

We have some resources available remotely for patrons, including the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection, www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org, which contains our newspaper collection in a searchable database going back to 1881. If you have a library card, you can remotely research land patents using HistoryGeo found at archives.dcl.org/digital/custom/resources.  

We can assist people with genealogy projects. Our Staff is familiar with MyHeritage, FamilySearch, and Ancestry. Library visitors without their own paid subscription to Ancestry.com can access it within any branch of the Douglas County Libraries.  

The Archives and Local History department is in the Philip S. Miller Library, 100 S. Wilcox St., in Castle Rock. We can be reached by emailing localhistory@dclibraries.org or calling 303-688-7730. 

Joan Gandy is an archivist at the Archives and Local History department of Douglas County Libraries. 

This column is hosted by the Seniors’ Council of Douglas County. For more information about 
our monthly presentations, meetings and events please visit www.MyDougCoSeniorLife.com, 
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at dcseniorlife@douglas.co.us.