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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Roswell Public Library

Roswell, New Mexico

Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Roswell.

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3Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1911 to 2000Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

54,253Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Roswell, New Mexico.

Explore the past of Roswell, New Mexico through directories in the Roswell Public Library's digital archive. Its three titles include material from 1911 to 2000.

You can open the archive using the link below.
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  • Selected titles

    In the collection shared by Roswell Public Library, you will find “Roswell City Directories” and “Roswell High School Yearbooks”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • A closer look

    Directory entries place recorded names, addresses and occupations in a particular year, connecting a familiar person or street with the community around them.

Details in historical directories can connect a name with an address, occupation or business, offering a closer look at the people behind a familiar street. A family name, address, or occupation can open a thread through the years represented. Compare entries and keep a possible match as a lead until another detail supports it. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Browse three titles and 54,253 digitized pages, with material from 1911 to 2000. This collection is shared through Roswell Public Library's partnership with Advantage Archives. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.

If you are tracing a family connection or exploring local history, the titles below offer a place to begin and a thread to follow.

Roswell City Directories

20,480 pages from 1947 to 1996

Roswell City Directory

18,726 pages from 1918 to 1970

Roswell High School Yearbooks

15,047 pages from 1911 to 2000

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About the Archive

About the Roswell Public Library's History Archives

The Roswell Public Library offers free access to historical resources through its digital archives, in partnership with Advantage Archives . This archive features digitized collections of Roswell City Directories, freely accessible to the public. The Roswell Public Library has digitized thousands of pages detailing the city's historical records, now available for exploration by patrons.

Roswell Public Library photo 1

About the Library

About the Roswell Public Library

The Roswell Public Library serves the educational, informational, and cultural needs of the Roswell community. Its extensive collection and diverse programming encourage lifelong learning and intellectual growth. The library provides resources for all ages, supporting a wide range of interests and fostering community engagement.

Library History

The History of the Roswell Public Library

The Roswell Public Library has a rich history, beginning with the Carnegie Library, which opened in 1906. In 1978, the library moved to its current location at 301 N. Pennsylvania Ave., continuing to serve as a vital community resource.

About the Community

About Roswell, New Mexico

Roswell, New Mexico, is known for its historical and cultural significance. It is famously associated with the 1947 UFO incident and has become a hub for tourism and scientific inquiry. Beyond its extraterrestrial history, Roswell is a community with a strong heritage and a commitment to preserving its local history.

Local History

Did You Know?

  • The Roswell Public Library has been serving the community for over a century, starting with the Carnegie Library in 1906.
  • Roswell’s rich history extends beyond UFOs, with deep roots in the history of New Mexico and its development.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Keep the directory date in view

A familiar name in Roswell may appear in more than one directory entry. Compare its address and occupation in the directories shared by the Roswell Public Library for each year available, and note what changed before deciding whether listings describe the same person or business. A directory describes details as recorded for a particular period. Note the volume year and compare a name or address with another source before treating the listing as a complete account.

Compare a promising result with the title information and date context available for it. If the details do not fit your question, keep it as a possible lead and look for another account or source where available rather than forcing a connection.

Capture the title, date, and page or item location for a detail you may want to revisit. Label your interpretation as your reading, not the source's own words. Keep enough context with the note that another reader can retrace it.

Review collection titles

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Roswell Public Library, its community, and Advantage Archives. Together, these partnerships preserve local sources and give people a way to explore, learn from, and share the history around them.

Advantage Archives covers ongoing archive hosting, storage, development, and maintenance. The institution and its community do not pay a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or other recurring archive-service charge. Local history remains a community resource, not a subscription to maintain.

Would you like to see more of your community's history preserved and accessible? Start a conversation with your library, newspaper publisher, historical or genealogical society, museum, or school about the materials they would like to share and a possible partnership with Advantage Archives.

Learn about partnerships
Read All About It

Stories, research tips, and archive news

Read All About It connects archive research with the people and institutions preserving local history. Explore partner and community stories, project updates, research ideas, and perspectives on digitization, education, and working with primary sources. Use the articles as a starting point for your next question or a new way to share a discovery.

Newest published articles

March 18, 2025

It’s Your Community’s History, So Why Rent Something You Own?

We believe that history belongs to the communities where it was made - not locked behind paywalls or inaccessible due to budget restrictions. Subscription-based services and large content aggregators are generally more concerned with "content" and less concerned with the history that content contains. Their models typically involve a reoccurring charge for a plan that renews annually or licensing agreements with the library based on population served or circulation numbers. You are essentially Renting Access To YOUR History.
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