Local and family history services

Are you interested in leaning how to research your family tree or the history of your local area? The Local and Family History Library runs a wide range of free local and family history learning sessions that can help with your research. The sessions all take place at the Leeds Central Library and those on offer include:

• Family History for Beginners: this workshop is aimed at beginners and introduces learners to the basic steps involved in researching family history. For more information on dates and times, please see the WORD document in the list on the right hand side.
• Maps and Trade Directories:learn more about how maps and trade directories can be useful for tracing you family history or researching the history of your local area.
• Tracing your Family History online:this session introduces people to the various online resources available to family historians. The next sessions are Tuesday 28th February, 2.00-4.00 p.m. and Tuesday 27th March, 10.00- 12.00.
• Local History online:  discover what local newspapers, local maps and photographs are available online.

All these sessions are free but booking is essential. You will also need to be able to use a computer for the online sessions. For more information and to book a place, contact us on 0113 247 8290 or email localstudies@leedslearning.net

Join our mailing list 

If you would like to be added to the Local and Family History electronic mailing list then please contact the library on localstudies@leedslearning.net. Regular updates are sent out concerning upcoming events and activities.

About us 

The Local and Family History Library aims to acquire, conserve and make available to the public all materials published on Leeds and significant publications on Yorkshire, with the emphasis on West Yorkshire. The library holds about 180,000 items including books, journals, directories, maps, photographs and prints, playbills and microfilms.

The library is concerned with two distinct subject areas

Local History - anything to do with Leeds and Yorkshire – history, geography, religion, education and natural history.

Family History – a fast-growing area of popularity, for which we have a wide variety of resources.

Research services 
If you are unable to visit the library, staff will answer quick enquiries received by e-mail, letter or telephone free of charge. For more detailed research requests a charge is made, £5.10 per 30 minutes for Leeds residents and £10.25 per 30 minutes for customers who live outside Leeds. Contact the Local and Family History Library for more information.

You can use our online form to make a request for local and family history information.

Contacts