Our Local History collection can be found on the 2nd Floor of the Main Branch. The collection includes:
- Books featuring the history of the Town of Ajax and Durham Region;
- Microfilm of Ontario Birth, Marriage and Death Indices, and historical editions of local newspapers;
- Photographs of Ajax and the surrounding area;
- Birth, Marriage and Death Indices from local newspapers;
- Microfilm / microfiche reader.
Popular Local History Titles
- A Pictorial History of Ajax, 1941-1972
- Ajax: The War Years, 1939-1945 by Ken Smith
- A Town Called Ajax
- Snapshots of Ajax: A Pictorial History
- History of Pickering Village and it's Locality
Find more Local History titles with our Exploring Our Town: Ajax list! Please note that some books may be reference items and only available for use in-branch.
Start your Local History or Genealogy Project with Online Tools and Resources!
Ajax Public Library Digital Archive
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE. February 26, 2024: The Library's Digital Archive (Our Digital World) is unavailable, with no current timeline on when service may be restored.
Ajax's local history collection digitized, which includes photos, birth/marriage/death and cemetery records, and full-text versions of books, pamphlets, and several issues of the Commando newspaper, the official newspaper from the Defence Industries Limited (DIL) plant.
Ancestry Library Edition
Access to family history via documents that record the lineage of individuals from North America, the U.K., Europe, Australia, and more. Home access ended December 31, 2021.
Canadiana
A catalogue of over 60 million documents held in Canada's libraries, museums, and archives, compiled into one resource for convenient searching.
CemSearch
A genealogy site designed specifically for people who are in search of their roots in a 10-county area of south-central Ontario.
FamilySearch
Discover your family heritage through historical records. FamilySearch is an international, non-profit organization dedicated to helping all people discover their family story. Access in-Library for additional features!
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Need help getting started? Want to connect with other local history or genealogy enthusiasts?
The Library regularly offers programs and workshops on topics related to local history and genealogy. Browse our online program calendar, or What's On program guide to find an upcoming event!