Directories at the Boston Public Library: City Directories

City Directories are also sometimes thought of as city censuses or city registers of residents. Only the earliest ones did not also include businesses. They are focused on what is within the city boundaries only, although sometimes they contain more than one city or town. But generally they do not cover the surrounding area as telephone books usually do. They are precursors to telephone books which eventually replaced them in the mid to late 20th century.  

Most years of the Boston city directories can be accessed via our subscription to Ancestry Library Edition while in the library.  This is the easiest and most convenient way to use them.  You can use a search box or view complete scanned pages and search visually. The second method is recommended if you are searching a common name or to double check if the search engine is not finding the results you expected or wanted.  The search engine is helpful but not 100% reliable in deciphering the old printed volumes. Please ask a librarian if you need help getting started using them this way.   

The Boston Public Library also holds microfilm copies of the Boston city directories for 1789-1960.  For the year 1961-1981 paper copies are available if the digital version is missing or otherwise not usable for some reason.  These can be requested at the Research Services Desk on the 2nd floor of the Central Library in Copley Square with a library card.