What you will find here
North East Derbyshire's rich history is reflected in the wide range of materials available at Chesterfield Library. All types of local studies are represented including history, literature, geography, natural history, industry and transport. The ever-growing interest in family history has brought forth a vast range of publications on the subject and we have a special collection of helpful guides to family history research.
The range of materials includes books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, news cuttings and maps. We also have photographs, slides and prints, videos and DVDs, music on CD, CD Roms and microforms. Access to content is made easy through excellent subject and place indexes to the collection.
Borrowing from the Local Studies Library
Most of the collection is for reference use only. Even so, many older standard works and newly-published titles are available here to borrow. There are also collections of local DVDs, videos and music CDs available for loan.
Electronic resources
To commemorate the World War 1 Centenary, we're making the name index to the Derbyshire Times available online.
The name index attached to this page covers the years 1900 to 1919 and is an excellent research aid if you're searching for reports of World War 1 casualties.
We have a growing range of family history resources on CD Rom. These are in addition to the ever-increasing quantity of information available on the internet. You can access these websites on the library computers free of charge. You can also see if your surname is listed on the Chesterfield Library Surname index.
Research services
The most enjoyable way of carrying out family or local history research is to come to the library and experience the thrill of finding out for yourself. However, if this isn't possible then we welcome enquiries by post, email and telephone. If it will take a lot of time to answer your question we offer a chargeable service.
Our research and copying service is charged according to the time it takes to carry out your order.
The fees and charges include VAT which is only paid by UK residents. Overseas customers are charged at the non-VAT rate.
Research and copying for:
- non-commercial purposes per half hour: £15 (including VAT) or £12.50 (excluding VAT)
- commercial purposes per half hour: £30 (including VAT) or £25 (excluding VAT)