Find the best ancestry research libraries in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic states.
See the companion article entitled: “How to Use Libraries and Societies to Trace Ancestors.” This article will share a comprehensive listing of these resources for the U.S. Mid-Atlantic states of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
See the companion article entitled: “Effectively Trace Ancestors in Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies.” Learn how to effectively use local, county, state historical societies and libraries to trace, find, and write narratives about ancestors.
Table of Contents
Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
- Interwoven Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
- New Jersey Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
- New York Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
- Pennsylvania Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
Where can I find lists of genealogical libraries and societies in other states?
The following matrix is a listing of each state. Click on the state and you will be taken to the article that contains the listing of genealogical and historical libraries, societies, and archives for that state.
What does each state’s listing of genealogical libraries and societies include?
As this article was being researched, it became apparent that lists and links to genealogy and historical societies, libraries, and archives are scattered throughout the web. None of the resources are complete, yet all must be reviewed to ensure you have not overlooked a possible source. For each state, I will provide the resources for the following categories:
- Statewide Resources
- University Archives and Collections
- Public Library and Community Resources and Archives
- Historical Society and Special Interest Resources and Archives
- Finding State Digital Resources and Collections
- Digital Library Collections
- Historical and Genealogical Society Online Web Pages
While I have sought to provide you with a detailed compilation, I know I have missed some resources. If you don’t find what you’re seeking, I suggest you contact the library or society nearest your place of interest and see if they can help you locate resources that may not be online but can be contacted via other means.
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Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
Interwoven Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
I would like to share a personal experience. Over many generations, the history of a family lies buried in different sources and places. Like a good detective, the historian and genealogist must search for the pieces of a family’s past in those many sources such as books, documents, and manuscripts. You need to be patient and imaginative, for the search can take years and involve a string of clues that lead to new sources. The facts–names, dates, events–that a historian/genealogist gathers through the years are like pieces of a puzzle. Gradually those pieces can be fitted together to make a picture of a family, its many members, and its unique history. I would like to share a personal experience.
As a researcher and storyteller, I have focused much research on online microfilm records and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Naively, I thought I had reached most of the available resources that pertained to my family. Then my perception changed with a trip to the roots of my family— Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and. Virginia. What started to be a 10-day trip ended up being a month-long discovery of who I am, where I came from and Whose I am.
Before my trip, I thought I had done extensive preparation through online searching at the Library of Virginia, spoken with and made arrangements to visit a few county historical societies, and identified where my family lived. I searched my records to see my information and collaborated with fellow family genealogists.
By the end of my trip, I had traveled 2,500 miles, taken 24,000 digital images, identified 150,000 plus ancestors from direct and collateral lines; visited and researched university archives and special collections; public and regional libraries; state, regional, and local historical, and ethnic societies; and state, county, and local government agencies. I had also spoken and counseled extensively with subject matter experts, walked my family’s land, visited the graves and cemeteries of my family, never found before known records, and met cousins both of Anglo- and African-American descent.
This experience came about because of interwoven historical and genealogical resources dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting artifacts and documents. They included:
- Colleges and universities archives and special collections
- Corporate archives
- Federal, state, and local government
- State, county, local, and ethnic historical societies
- Regional and community public libraries
If I learned one thing, it was a combination of all the resources to effectively help me learn and tell the story of my ancestors. I found that each organization had information shared by more than one organization; furthermore, I found each had unique and precious elements of my past. Finally and probably most importantly, I found a deep appreciation for the resources of individuals who freely gave of their time, expertise, and donations to acquire collections and make them available. I was also grateful to institutions and organizations for their dreams and vision to coordinate, collect, preserve, and manage history.
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Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
New Jersey Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
The following is a listing of the best New Jersey local, county, and state genealogical and historical libraries and societies to assist you in tracing, finding, and writing narratives about ancestors.
What you can expect to find
Many of these libraries and societies have genealogical collections, historical collections, archives, special collections, and digital collections. Digital collections by subject, rare books, oral histories, photography collection, family history, digital projects, genealogical. open collections, virtual resources, electronic, and history text which are departments in the library.
Tip: Copy and paste the name of the listed resource into Google or the search engine of choice to find the web address. Once you find the resource you will be able to explore the type of resources you can find to support your historical and genealogy research.
State-wide Resources (4)
- Genealogical Society of New Jersey
- New Jersey Historical Society
- New Jersey State Library
- NJ Division of Archives and Records Management
University Archives and Collections (15)
- College of Saint Elizabeth. Phillips Library of Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Drew University. Special Collections
- Drew University. United Methodist Archives Center
- Monmouth University
- Princeton Theological Seminary
- Princeton University. Cotsen Children’s Library
- Princeton University. Rare Books and Special Collections
- Princeton University. Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
- Rider University
- Rowan University
- Rutgers University
- Saint Peter’s College. Archives
- Saint Peter’s College. Special Collections
- Seton Hall University
- Trenton Public Library
Public Library and Community Resources and Archives (21)
- Basking Ridge–Bernards Township Library
- Bernardsville–Bernardsville Public Library
- Danforth–Paterson Free Public Library
- Jersey City–Jersey City Free Public Library, New Jersey Room
- Mays Landing–Atlantic County Library
- Morristown–Joint Free Public Library of Morristown and Morris Township
- Morristown–Morris County Library
- Newark–Newark Public Library. New Jersey Information Center
- Newark–Newark Public Library. Special Collections Division
- Piscataway–Piscataway Public Library
- Plainfield–Plainfield Public Library
- Princeton–David Sarnoff Library
- Salem–Salem County Historical Society, Jaquette Memorial Research Library
- Trenton–Trenton Public Library
- Historical Society and Special Interest Resources and Archives (6)
- Gloucester County (NJ) Historical Society
- Jewish Historical Society of Central Jersey
- Jewish Historical Society of MetroWest
- New Jersey Historical Society
- Salem County Historical Society
- Westfield Historical Society
Finding State Digital Resources and Collections (1)
- Electronic Resources – New Jersey State Library
Databases, electronic journals, and e-books are provided in this site to the residents of New Jersey.
Digital Library Collections (5)
- New Jersey Digital Highway
- New Jersey State Archives Imaged Collections
- Rutgers University, Alexander Library, Center for Electronic Texts in the Humanities (CETH)
- Scholarly Communications Center
- Digital Library Projects
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Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
New York Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
The following is a listing of the best New York local, county, and state genealogical and historical libraries and societies to assist you in tracing, finding, and writing narratives about ancestors.
What you can expect to find
Many of these libraries and societies have genealogical collections, historical collections, archives, special collections, and digital collections. Digital collections by subject, rare books, oral histories, photography collection, family history, digital projects, genealogical. open collections, virtual resources, electronic, and history text which are departments in the library.
Tip: Copy and paste the name of the listed resource into Google or the search engine of choice to find the web address. Once you find the resource you will be able to explore the type of resources you can find to support your historical and genealogy research.
State-wide Resources (4)
- New York Genealogical & Biographical Society
- New York Historical Society
- New York State Archives
- New York State Library
- New York State is the only state that requires, by law, that each municipality have a historian. There are 1,600+ historians. The position is an officer of the municipality with four areas of responsibility which include research/writing of the muni’s history, working with schools to provide local history education, historic preservation, and advocacy. They report the fulfillment of these responsibilities to the State Historian annually. Their offices typically contain information on families, muni subjects, maps, and much more. The state-wide organization of Associated Public Historians of New York State (APHNYS) www.aphnys.org provides contact information for each historian.
University Archives and Collections (62)
- Adelphi University
- Alfred University. Herrick Library
- Alfred University. New York State College of Ceramics
- Alfred University. Scholes Library. Special Collections
- American Baptist–Samuel Colgate Historical Library
- Binghamton University
- Columbia University. Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library
- Columbia University. Health Sciences Library
- Columbia University. Herbert H. Lehman Suite and Papers
- Columbia University. Law Library
- Columbia University. Oral History Research Office
- Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library
- Columbia University. University Archives and Columbiana Library
- Cornell University. Kheel Center
- Cornell University. Mann Library
- Cornell University. Rare and Manuscript Collections
- Fordham University
- Hofstra University. Long Island Studies Institute
- Hofstra University. Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Hofstra University. University Archives
- Hunter College. Archives & Special Collections
- Hunter College. Centro Library and Archives
- Long Island University
- New School University
- New School University. Parsons School of Design
- New York University Library. Special Collections
- New York University Medical Center. Archives
- New York University Medical Center. Special Collections
- Niagara University
- Plattsburgh State University
- St. Bonaventure University. Archives
- St. Bonaventure University. Franciscan Institute
- St. Bonaventure University. Jim Bishop Archives
- St. John’s University. Archives
- St. John’s University. Special Collections
- St. Lawrence University
- State University of New York Maritime College
- State University of New York, Brockport
- State University of New York, College at Fredonia
- State University of New York, College at Oneonta
- State University of New York, Geneseo
- State University of New York, New Paltz
- State University of New York, Oswego
- State University of New York, Potsdam
- State University of New York. Upstate Medical University
- Stony Brook University
- Syracuse University. Archives and Records Management
- Syracuse University. Belfer Audio Laboratory & Archive
- Syracuse University. Special Collections
- Syracuse University. Television History Archive
- University at Albany. Special Collections and Archives
- University at Buffalo. Health Sciences Library
- University at Buffalo. Music Library
- University at Buffalo. Poetry/Rare Books Collection
- University at Buffalo. Sears Law Library
- University at Buffalo. University Archives
- University of Rochester Medical Center
- University of Rochester. Memorial Art Gallery
- University of Rochester. Rare Books and Special Collections
- University of Rochester. Sibley Music Library
- Yeshiva University. Mendel Gottesman Library of Hebraica/Judaica
- Yeshiva University. Special Collections
Public Library and Community Resources and Archives (28)
- Adirondack–Adirondack Research Library
- Baldwinsville–Baldwinsville Public Library
- Bronxville–Bronxville Public Library
- Brooklyn–Brooklyn Public Library
- Broome County–Four County Library System
- Buffalo–Buffalo/Erie County Public Library
- Clifton Park–Clifton Park – Halfmoon Public Library
- Corinth–Corinth Free Library
- Crandall–Crandall Public Library
- East Hampton–East Hampton Library
- Easton–Easton Library
- Ithaca–Cornell University, Olin Library
- Longwood–Longwood Public Library
- Middletown–Middletown Thrall Library
- Morgan–Morgan Library
- New York City–New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Library
- New York City–New York Public Library, History and Genealogy Division
- Ogdensburg–Ogdensburg Public Library
- Patchogue-Medford Library
- Pierpont–Pierpont Morgan Library
- Port Washington–Port Washington Public Library
- Queens Borough–Queens Borough Public Library. Long Island Division
- Queens Borough–Queens Borough Public Library. Woodson Collection
- Rochester–Rochester Public Library, Local History and Genealogy Division:
- Rochester–Rochester Stake FHC
- Schenectady–Schenectady County Public Library
- Scottsville–Scottsville Free Library
- Seymour–Seymour Public Library
Historical Society and Special Interest Resources and Archives (21)
- American Irish Historical Society
- Bronx County Historical Society
- Brooklyn Historical Society
- Center for Jewish History
- Chemung County Historical Society
- Diocese of Rockville Centre
- Diocese of Syracuse
- Episcopal Diocese of Western New York
- Huguenot Historical Society
- Huntington Historical Society
- New York State Historical Association
- New-York Historical Society
- Old Brutus Historical Society
- Rensselaer County Historical Society
- Sag Harbor Historical Society
- Saratoga County Historical Society. Brookside Museum
- Saratoga National Historical Park
- Schenectady County Historical Society
- Shelter Island Historical Society
- Westchester County Archives
- Woody Guthrie Foundation & Archives
Finding State Digital Resources and Collections (1)
- NOVEL: New York Online Virtual Electronic Library
This New York’s first statewide online virtual library is a collection of electronic databases that provide New York State residents with access to thousands of full-text national and international newspapers and magazines, health and medical resources, business collections, Spanish language materials, and age-appropriate materials for youngsters.
Digital Library Collections (29)
- Online Archive of New Mexico: Images of Historical Documents
- Byron Company Collection Online
- City Sites: Multimedia Essays on New York and Chicago, 1870s-1930s
- Rochester Images
- American Museum of Natural History Library, Digital Library Project-Digital Collections By Subject
- Columbia University, Teachers College, Institute for Learning Technologies (ILTweb)
- Digital Dante
- Columbia University Libraries, Digital Library Projects
- Cornell University Library, Cornell Digital Library Collections Digital Collections By
- Digital Collections By Subject: http://bcdlib.tc.ca/links-subjects.html
- Hamliton College Library, Digital Collections of Hamilton College Library-
- Digital Collections By Subject
- Metroplitan New York Library Council, MRDI
- New York Public Library, Digital Library Collection
- NYPL Digital Gallery
- New York State Documents
- South Central Regional Library Council, Digitizing Program
- Syracuse University Library, Department of Special Collections, Digital Collections
- United States Military Academy Library (West Point), USMA Digital Collections
- University at Albany, State University of New York, Department of History, History and MultiMedia Center
- University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Libraries, UBdigit, Digital Collections at the University at Buffalo
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Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
Pennsylvania Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
The following is a listing of the best Pennsylvania local, county, and state genealogical and historical libraries and societies to assist you in tracing, finding, and writing narratives about ancestors.
What you can expect to find
Many of these libraries and societies have genealogical collections, historical collections, archives, special collections, and digital collections. Digital collections by subject, rare books, oral histories, photography collection, family history, digital projects, genealogical. open collections, virtual resources, electronic, and history text which are departments in the library.
Tip: Copy and paste the name of the listed resource into Google or the search engine of choice to find the web address. Once you find the resource you will be able to explore the type of resources you can find to support your historical and genealogy research.
State-wide Resources (5)
- Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania
- Historical Society of Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Department of Education – Office of Commonwealth Libraries
- Pennsylvania State Archives
University Archives and Collections (38)
- Bloomsburg University
- Bucknell University
- Carnegie Mellon University. Architecture Archives
- Carnegie Mellon University. Archives
- Carnegie Mellon University. Special Collections
- Cheyney University
- Drexel University
- Duquesne University
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- La Salle University
- Lehigh University
- Juniata College, Beeghly Library
- Millersville University
- Penn State University, Abington
- Penn State University, Harrisburg
- Penn State University, Schuylkill
- Penn State University, University Park
- Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
- Temple University. Blockson Afro-American Collection
- Temple University. Special Collections
- Temple University. Urban Archives
- Thomas Jefferson University
- University of Pennsylvania Museum
- University of Pennsylvania. Annenberg Rare Book & Manuscript Library
- University of Pennsylvania. Architectural Archives
- University of Pennsylvania. Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
- University of Pennsylvania. Center for The Study of The History of Nursing
- University of Pennsylvania. University Archives and Records Center http://www.archives.upenn.edu/
- University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg
- University of Pittsburgh. Archives Service Center
- University of Pittsburgh. Center for American Music
- University of Pittsburgh. Elizabeth Nesbitt Room
- University of Pittsburgh. Special Collections
- University of Scranton
- Villanova University
- West Chester University
- Widener University
Public Library and Community Resources and Archives (19)
- Allentown–Allentown Public Library
- Bethlehem–Bethlehem Area Public Library, Bethlehem Room
- Bloomsburg–Bloomsburg Public Library
- Butler–Butler Area Public Library
- Easton–Easton Area Public Library, Marx Room
- Harrisburg–Dauphin County Library System
- Hershey–Hershey Community Archives
- Irwin–Norwin Public Library
- Lancaster–County of Lancaster
- Philadelphia–Free Library of Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh–Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Allegheny Regional Branch
- Pittsburgh–Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Oliver Special Collections Room
- Pittsburgh–Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania Department
- Pittsburgh–Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
- Tarentum–Community Library of Allegheny Valley
- Washington–Citizens Library
- West Chester–Chester County Archives
- Williamsport–James V. Brown Library
- York–York County Archives
Historical Society and Special Interest Resources and Archives (5)
- Bucks County Historical Society
- Chester County Historical Society
- Cumberland County Historical Society
- Historical Society of Berks County
- Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Finding State Digital Resources and Collections (1)
- POWER Library – Pennsylvania Online World of Electronic Resources
Pennsylvania residents have access to thousands of full text periodical articles, newspapers, a major encyclopedia, plus photographs, pictures, charts, maps, reference materials for young people and more. Materials cover most subject areas for all age groups from young children to adults.
Digital Library Collections (21)
- Pennsylvania History Online
- Philadelphia Historical Digital Image Library (PHDIL)
- PhillyHistory.org
- Academy of Natural Sciences, Digital Collections
- Albert M. Greenfield Digital Imaging Center for Collections
- Dickinson College, DEILA, the Dickinson Electronic Initiative in the Liberal Arts Historic Pittsburgh
Lehigh University Library and Technology Services, Digital-Projects- - Digital Collections By Subject
- Pennsylvania State University Libraries, Digital Resources Center
- University of Pennsylvania, Digital Library Programs & Projects
- Schoenberg Center for Electronic Text & Image-The Online Books Page
- A Celebration of Women Writers-Digital Collections By Subject
- University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library-Digital Collections By Subject
- Life in Western Pennsylvania 1840 -1970
- 75th Anniversary of the Free Library of Philadelphia
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Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies