Local History & Genealogy Resources

Local History Room

The Local History Room, located on the main floor of the library near the circulation desk, houses many pieces of interest pertaining to Barre’s past. The Local History Room was created to preserve and make available books, documents, photographs, and other materials highlighting the history of Barre and surrounding towns, as well as individuals whose activities have contributed to the development and growth of those communities.

The collection in the Local History Room consists of print and online sources. Materials in the Local History Room may only be used in the Library. Whenever possible, duplicate titles are added to the Library’s general circulating collection and may be available for checkout.

Local History Print Collection

Our print collection consists of, but is not limited to:

Cemetery Records
Barre Family Histories
Histories of Massachusetts Counties, Cities and Towns
Vital Records
Barre Town Reports

Barre Gazette Room

The Barre Gazette Room is located on the third floor of the Library and is not accessible to the general public. The Barre Gazette Room houses:

Bound editions of the Barre Gazette by year from the late 1800s to the present.
Quabbin Regional High School Yearbooks
Barre High School Yearbooks
Vital Records for most Massachusetts towns

Appointments must be made in advance to view material from the Barre Gazette Room. This room is not accessible to the public. Please let a librarian know which items and years you’d like to see when requesting an appointment. Staff will gather the items and bring them to the main floor of the library for your reserved time.

Please Note: Some of the items are not in suitable condition to remove from the shelves for public perusal. In this case, library staff will contact a member of the Barre Library Association or Barre Museum Association, who may be able to further assist in a patron’s research efforts.

Local History Digital Archives

This collection of Digital Archives has been made possible by Boston Public Library’s Statewide Digitization Project.

Woods Memorial Library Digital Archive

A collection of Quabbin Regional High School yearbooks and Barre History Books.

Barre Historical Society Digital Archive

A collection of Barre High School yearbooks, an assortment of Barre History Books, and town maps.

Online Genealogy Resources

HeritageHub - Explore your family history with the premier collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth genealogical research from 1704 – today. HeritageHub helps you easily identify relatives, uncover new information and potentially unknown family members. Includes deep coverage from all 50 states, hard-to-find content from the mid 1900’s, and original obituary images. Access is available 24/7 and can be accessed by signing in with your Barre library card.

FamilySearch - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides FamilySearch free of charge to everyone, regardless of tradition, culture, or religious affiliation. Familysearch resources help millions of people around the world discover their heritage and connect with family members.

Find-A-Grave - Find the graves of ancestors, create virtual memorials or add photos, virtual flowers, and a note to a loved one’s memorial. Search or browse cemeteries and grave records for every day and famous people from around the world.