Sangamon Valley Collection

image of the entrance to the Sangamon Valley Collection department

About SVC

The Sangamon Valley Collection (SVC), located on the third floor of Lincoln Library, provides in-depth resources for the study of Springfield, Illinois, Sangamon County and the ten adjacent counties. The collection, established in 1970, contains materials from the past and present. The Sangamon Valley Collection is a non-circulating collection.

Contact SVC

Sangamon Valley Collection
Lincoln Library
326 S. 7th St.
Springfield, IL 62701
(217) 753-4900 ext. 5634

Contact Us

SVC Hours

Monday 10a.m.-5p.m.
Tuesday 10a.m.-5p.m.
Wednesday 10a.m.-8p.m.
Thursday 10a.m.-5p.m.
Friday 10a.m.-5p.m.
Saturday 10a.m.-5p.m.
Sunday CLOSED

Genealogy & History Databases

Advantage Archives Newspapers

Access and search digitized local newspapers: Illinois State Democrat (1858-1860), The Public Patron (1897-1898), Pleasant Plains Advocate (1892), The Tri City Register (1918), The Weekly Enterprise (1899), The Rochester Weekly Item (1884).

FamilySearch

This FREE site provides access to a growing collection of databases of digitized records for genealogical research. Users are required to create a free account. Lincoln Library is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library.

Category:
Genealogy
Audience(s):
Adults
Visit Resource

Fold3

Access to US military records, including the stories, photos and documents of the men and women who served. Contains millions of records from world-class archives.

Category:
Genealogy
Audience(s):
Adults
Visit Resource

HeritageHub

Explore your family history with the premier collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth genealogical research from 1704 - today.

Category:
Genealogy, Newspapers
Audience(s):
Adults
Visit Resource

HeritageQuest

HeritageQuest provides access to thousands of local and family histories, the complete U.S. Federal Census, Revolutionary War Pension & Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, Freedman's Bank Records, city directories, and more.

Category:
Genealogy
Audience(s):
Adults
Visit Resource

Newspapers.com World Collection

Online access to 4,000+ historical newspapers from the early 1700s into the 2000s. Includes thousands of well-known, regional and state titles to small local newspapers in the United States and other countries.

Category:
Genealogy, Newspapers
Audience(s):
Adults
Visit Resource

Prairie Flame

Search and browse image editions of the Prairie Flame, a newspaper that reported "news of interest to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered people of downstate Illinois and those who support them in their quest for equality."

Category:
Local History, Newspapers
Audience(s):
Adults
Visit Resource

ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Defender

Digital newspaper archive of various editions of the Chicago Defender and Chicago Daily Defender, with coverage from 1909 to 2010. Offers full page and article images with searchable full text back to the first issue.