Research Tools A-Z

Western History Subject Index (formerly the General Index) card file contains more than seven million entries on four million cards. Developed over the last century, it provides access to newspapers, local histories, biographical works, newsletters and journals.

The WHSI includes abbreviations to a wide variety of indexed sources. While the full title for the abbreviated title or work is sometimes easy to discern -- e.g., RMN for the Rocky Mountain News or DP for the Denver Post -- others are more obscure or refer to materials or collections whose designations or call numbers have since changed. To simplify use of the Index, these abbreviations have been linked to the catalog records for the indexed items. Users may then follow the hyperlink to the Denver Public Library's catalog for a full description of the item and its availability.

Western History and Genealogy's YouTube channel presents a welcoming introduction video to the department and how to do research here, numerous oral histories and other features highlighting some of our collections.

Index to World War I draft registration cards on microfilm (G973.391 W893co Microfilm)

Includes name, rank, cemetery and burial location of each fallen soldier. 

Names of men who were drafted for active service for World War I from Colorado counties, except Denver.

Listing of Colorado's war dead and those missing in action during World War II.