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Local studies library

The gateway to information on Coventry... its history... its people... its culture... its industry...

Library News

Local Studies Service

The service has closed in the Central Library and a limited service will open in the new History Centre, from 1 Septemberl 2008. For more information visit our History Centre page.

For information on the City of Coventry

The Coventry and Warwickshire Collection contains books, pamphlets, newspapers, photographs, maps on the history of the city and the county of Warwickshire before 1974.

• Books and other material on Coventry today
• Coventry Newspapers from 1747, Coventry Evening Telegraph currently indexed
• Visit our  NewsBank online  page to search the Coventry Telegraph from 27 November 2000
• Books of local interest visit our sale of books page for details of how to buy.
• Family History sources to help trace your ancestors
• A list of useful website to help trace your ancestors (PDF 53KB)
• Automobile Collection books and other material on the car industry
• Bartleet Cycling Collection
• George Eliot Collection - including some manuscripts, copies of all her books and material about her life, especially during the period when she lived in Coventry.
• Angela Brazil Collection - including her own works and 19 century children's literature
• 10,000 original photographs and illustrations of Coventry www.picturesofcoventry.co.uk (external website)
• Coventry Graphic Index of Servicemen 1914 - 1918
• Alfred Lowe's news cuttings on Coventry and Warwickshire 1859 - 1905
• Free access to 2 bookable computers to help with your research

The NEWSPLAN (external website) West Midlands database gives details of some 1100 newspaper titles published in the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and in the Metropolitan Boroughs of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton as well as in the Unitary Authorities of Stoke-on-Trent and Telford and Wrekin.
The entries include details of the main titles, showing name changes from previous and successor titles and giving information on the libraries and record offices across the region where copies of the newspapers are held. The entries also indicate if copies are held at the British Library Newspaper Library in London.

National Archives at Kew

Online services please visit  nationalarchives.gov.uk (external website)

Contact Details

Downloadable documents

About PDFs and Accessibility

•  Family History Websites 2006 (pdf 53KB) (54 kb)
•  Local Studies Sales Stock August 2007 (70 kb)