Resource Centre

Come visit one of our best resources – our Resource Centre! The centre features a number of computer workstations with internet access, photocopier, document and book scanners, and ample meeting space. The largest part of the centre is our extensive genealogical library collection, featuring over 12,000 publications for researchers to access.

We welcome the public at our facility. Our volunteers look forward to helping you discover what we have to offer for your genealogy research.

We are located in Calgary, Alberta, at Suite 251S, 8500 Macleod Trail SE in the Petwin Atrium Commons building (the building was formerly known as Heritage Square). Click here to view Google Maps

There are limited free 2-hour parking spaces on the east side of the building (register at security with a cellphone). Additional parking is available in the Indigo public parkade which is accessed off the alley between the parkade and the London Drugs plaza. You will need a cellphone to make payment for the parking in the parkade.

 

Online Library Catalogue

Our collection (over 12,000 items) is broad but does have an emphasis on materials pertaining to Alberta, the United Kingdom, Ontario, and the rest of Canada.  Our online catalogue includes all books and reference material held in the library.

Go to AFHS Library Catalogue

Hours of Operation

For most of the year, we are open on Thursdays from 10 am to 2 pm, Fridays from 10 am to 2 pm and Saturdays from noon to 4 pm. We close on long weekends and at Christmas. Our summer hours vary; in summer 2025 we are not open on Fridays. Please check the calendar for upcoming open times or closures due to weather. Our phone number is 403-214-1447 if you wish to call to make sure that we are open.

Special opening times can be arranged in advance for out-of-town visitors or other organizations by contacting

Borrowing Material

Unless marked as Reference, items may be signed out by AFHS members for a one-month loan period.

Resources Available

Digital Resources

  • FamilySearch Affiliate Library (access restricted records)
  • NewspaperArchive (Canadian newspapers only)
  • Findmypast subscription (one computer only)
  • Resources available via a membership with Ontario Ancestors (Ontario Families journal library, access to MyHeritage Library Edition, International Order of Oddfellows Insurance Policy collection, Huguenot collection, and more) (one computer only)

Print Resources

  • Journals and newsletters (some in digital format; see also Exchange Journals information below)
  • Family histories
  • A large collection of community local history books
  • General genealogy and history reference books
  • Maps, atlases, and gazetteers
  • Calgary Heritage Branch, Daughters of the American Revolution collection
  • Calgary Branch, United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada collection

Exchange Journals Program

For many years, Alberta Family Histories Society has participated in journal and newsletter exchanges. We send the organizations a copy of Chinook Arch, and they send us copies of their journals or newsletters. It is becoming more and more common for these exchanges to happen electronically. This has enabled us to make some of these exchange publications available online as a members-only benefit. If you are an Alberta Family Histories Society member, click on Exchange Journals to view the digital journals.

Computers and Equipment Available

  • Six Windows 11 computers with USB ports and access to printers
  • A multifunction printer/scanner/copier (Epson ET-16600) that can scan up to 11 by 17 inches
  • An overhead scanner (Fuijtsu ScanSnap SV600), great for scanning fragile books or scrapbooks
  • A flatbed scanner (Epson V500) which can scan letter sized documents, slides and negatives
  • Microfiche reader

For assistance to use this equipment, set up an appointment by emailing

Donations

We are very thankful for donations of family history materials as they are the backbone of our collection. Please read our Library Materials Donations Policy prior to bringing materials to us. It can be accessed here.

Used Books and Magazines for Sale

We have a selection of used local history books, magazines and other items for sale at our Resource Centre. Funds are used to purchase new materials for our library collection. Click on this link to see a list of the local history books we have for sale.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about our library or to volunteer, contact

Selected Resources from Our Collection

Catalogue

Our catalogue can be searched by keyword, title, author or subject. This is a simple, basic search function. For best results:

      • Use as few words as possible. For example, search for “Calgary” instead of “Calgary, Alberta”.
      • If your query includes the word “and”, try using “&” instead of “and”.
      • A keyword search will produce the largest set of results. To reduce the number, try searching in only the title or subject field.
      • Results can also be refined by using a similar term or phrase in the subject search. For example, instead of searching for “genetic genealogy,” search for “DNA.”
Title Author Subject Format Call No.
AFHS
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