GPC eBook Library: 800+ Genealogy Books at Your Fingertips

I primarily research online. I have really bad anxiety, and driving outside of my immediate comfort zone (a few miles around my hometown) is something I simply don't do. This makes any meaningful in-person research trips pretty much impossible. Vacations (like my current 10-day time away from work!) are staycations. For this reason, I'm always on the lookout for ways to maximize my research online. This is also the reason for having so many online subscriptions. It dramatically expands my research world. 

The "Big 4" sites certainly present me with more hints than I'll ever work through. These help me find out where my ancestors lived or moved, their occupations, military service, many family members and (hopefully) the important birth, marriage and death dates. Newspaper articles (if available) can help fill in more about their daily lives. And obituaries often contain a wealth of information. But I always feel there's more to be found, so I keep an eye out for other ways I might find additional information. And I'm always interested in continuing my education to make my journey as rewarding as possible.

When I came across Genealogical.com a few years ago, I felt like I hit on a gold mine. This publisher focuses on genealogy and family history and has been publishing for 65 years. From the website:

"Genealogical.com is the leading–and oldest–publisher of genealogy books in the country. Under the Genealogical Publishing Company (GPC) and Clearfield Company imprints, Genealogical.com features a catalog of more than 2,000 publications..."

In addition to providing physical books, they offer an eBook subscription called the GPC eBook Library. It provides access to a collection of over 800 books through the Bookshelf platform. The library can be accessed from any internet-connected device. You can also download your books for offline access. The website also says the eBook library contains "Books of records focusing on Colonial America to about the Civil War" and "The undisputed best and most comprehensive collection of How-To and Guide Books." This includes Evidence Explained, 4th Edition by Elizabeth Shown Mills!

Subscriptions to this eBook library can be purchased directly on the website for 3 months ($45), 6 months ($75), or 1 year ($135). Access to 800+ books for this price is definitely a bargain. But an even better deal may be an American Ancestors Digital Access Membership at a cost of $49.95. Since I'm focusing on Genealogical.com, if you want to learn more about the many valuable perks of the American Ancestors Digital Access Membership, please read my post American Ancestors: Perks Well Worth the Cost. A membership with American Ancestors includes access to the GPC eBook Library at no additional cost. For $5 more than a direct 3-month subscription, you get a whole host of resources!

One great feature of the GPC eBook Library is the ability to search across all books at one time. This saves a ton of time scrolling through titles and reading book summaries. They've also added an AI assistant to help clarify and explain various concepts in each book. "...it’s like having the author sitting next to you, explaining laws, customs and processes." You can also copy, paste and print. Understandably, the amount of a book you can print is limited, to respect the work of the authors. You can also highlight, make notes and set bookmarks if you wish. Please note: If you download and access offline, highlights, notes and bookmarks will sync when you reconnect online. If you prefer, you can use search filters to limit the GPC eBook Library by region, subject or time period. 

I firmly believe continuing to study and learn is every bit as important as working with hints and records. While you may or may not find any books specifically mentioning your ancestors, this library provides a wonderful opportunity to access reference books to help you expand your knowledge, improve your skills, and become more efficient in your research. As always, this site is linked in my Genealogy Toolbox. If you're already using Genealogical.com's GPC eBook Library, comment below or reach out and connect with me on social media. I'd enjoy hearing about your experiences with the eBook library.

Note: Prices and features referenced in this post were current when I reviewed the sites in August 2026.

Image by G.C. from Pixabay

Disclosure: I use ChatGPT to assist with a title and search description. I also used ChatGPT to review this post for clarity, punctuation and grammar. Unless otherwise indicated, the content and all opinions are my own.