Archives
at your library
Materials in our collection
- Local newspapers (dated to the 1920s)
- Photographs
- Letters
- Diaries
- Yearbooks
Plus other original records created by Cochrane and area citizens.
There are records of local businesses and organizations, family papers, government records, military records, theatrical collections, music collections, ephemera, etc.
Viewing archives materials
Much of our collection are available to the public to view, however, most of the materials are not digitized.
Below, we have provided access to two lists to help you determine whether the information you are looking for is available. If it is, please submit a request and we will do our best to help.
Death, Marriage, Birth, and Estate Index
List of local newspaper notices from 1910 through 2023
To search the files, open them, then choose Edit > Find or press Ctrl/Command+F. Type the text you want to search for in the Find toolbar.
If there is something in particular you’d like us to find for you, please submit a request form (below) and we will do our best to help. Depending on staff availability and request volume, it can take several weeks to complete requests.
Please note that Ancestry Library Edition is available on our public computers and on personal devices connected to the Library WiFi.
Requesting archives materials
If you note something of intest in the index or database above, please indicate its location in your request form. If you are looking for something additional or something that isn’t listed above, please fill out as much information as possible in the form.
Depending on staff availability and request volume, it can take several weeks to complete requests.
Once we have completed your request, we will reach out with details and/or copies of the materials in question.
Policy details
Purpose of the collection
The Local History and Archives collection exists to:
- Collect, preserve and make accessible materials which illustrate the history of the Cochrane area and its peoples. The Archives collect and provides access to documentary heritage that makes a significant contribution to an understanding of the development of the Town, its natural and built environment, its culture and the people who lived, worked, and had an impact upon the Cochrane area;
- Collect and preserve archival materials created by the Cochrane Public Library which illustrate the growth and development of the Cochrane Public Library, both before and after incorporation, or which pertain in whole or in part to activities within the Cochrane Public Library;
- Arrange and describe these materials according to archival principles and make them accessible to the general public on a regular basis, unless access is restricted by legal requirements, Library Board policy or written agreement with the donor;
- Provide adequate and appropriate conditions for the storage, protection and preservation of archival material;
- Provide reference services to individuals, organizations, the municipal government, or other groups interested in the activities and holdings of Local History and Archives;
- Facilitate digitization projects, exhibition, outreach and programming to increase public awareness of the Cochrane area and its peoples, history and development.
The ultimate responsibility for the management of Local History and Archives is with the Chief Librarian acting in accordance with the general policies established by the Library Board. In practice, this authority is delegated to the Archivist who manages Local History and Archives.
The presence of materials in the Local History and Archives collection does not constitute an endorsement of their content or viewpoints by the Library Board. The Board recognizes that this policy is carried out in compliance and with due regard for all applicable legislation.
Scope of acquisition
The archives will acquire historical material by donation, bequest, purchase, or transfer, regardless of medium, including: textual records; photographs and other visual records; maps, plans and architectural records; sound recordings or visual recordings; historical memorabilia and digital materials as per the collection mandate.
The Local History and Archives department will only accept material on a permanent basis, except when borrowing material for short-term loans to reproduce or to include in displays or exhibits.
