Glenbow Library and Archives

The Glenbow Library and Archives is one of the largest collections of documentation on the history of the Canadian West, and the unique development of the Prairie Provinces. It’s primary focus covers the geographical regions of Southern Alberta. It has strengths in Indigenous communities, Métis genealogy, the North-West Mounted Police, the Canadian Pacific Railway, agriculture and ranching, labour and politics, oil and natural gas exploration, and the Canadian Arctic.

In 2019 the Glenbow Museum relocated the majority of its library and archival holdings to the University of Calgary. 5,500 m of textual records, 2,000,000 photographs, 600 hours of audio records, 100,000 books, 15,000 maps were apart of the move. The Glenbow Museum retained most of the materials relating to Indigenous communities and art.

You can search for archival material from the Glenbow collection at the University of Calgary here: https://searcharchives.ucalgary.ca/

You can explore the digital content here: https://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/

Physical access to these collections is available through the Glenbow Western Research Centre, located on the second floor of the Taylor Family Digital Library. To view these collections please contact us at asc@ucalgary.libanswers.com

For material still at the Glenbow Museum, please contact them at archives@glenbow.org

A.E. Cross family fonds

Alberta Wheat Pool fonds

Canadian Pacific Railway Land Sales Registers fonds

• Explore the CPR Land Sales Database

Charles Denney fonds and Metis genealogy files

Famous 5 Foundation fonds

Franklin Expedition and Arctic Exploration collection

George and John McDougall family fonds

Imperial Oil Limited fonds

Royal Canadian Mounted Police fonds

William Aberhart fonds