Research at the Library

The Library is a terrific resource and offers many types of genealogy support.  In order to take full advantage of these resources you do need to visit the library in person and in some cases need to use their computers.  While many libraries offer remote access to some research databases from your home, it is more typical to find that while on-site using a library owned PC you can access a wider array of services.

Overview – My Local Library

We provide an overview of what is available from the Cleveland Public Library which should you good insight into what you may find at your local library.  It is helpful to do homework ahead of time prior to going to the library.  You may find that certain information is at one particular location and not another.  You may also find that a larger regional or county library may have a wider variety of services.  It is worth getting organized so you know what to expect. See our Tips-Before-You-Go page for some helpful reminders that may make you journey more fruitful.

Resources Links

• Old Newspapers insight into how they can be used in research and links to sources

Types of Information

The type of information does vary by each library, which is why it is important to review their website and/or call ahead and ask, prior to traveling to the location.

Census-Microfilm – Microfilm tape with census information is quite often available although unlike a web-based service it is not directly searchable and you need to use an index to locate a page and then you can load another tape to find the specific page. At some libraries you can directly pick a tape and other libraries you must request each tape that you want to review.

Census-via-Ancestry-Library-Edition – Many libraries offer Ancestry Library edition, which is a free on-site-access the Ancestry.com including census research, while using a library owned computer.

City Directory – Microfilm or printed bound copies of city directories and phone books. City directories tend to be produced every year or every other year which allows you to fill in the gaps between census which are produced about every 10 years.  City directories also help you see who else was living in the house and they can hint to their occupation.

Death Certificates – Death certificates covering years 1908 to 1954 are on microfilm at the Cleveland Public Library.  Other years are covered at other locations in Cleveland and depending on the time period you may need to visit either Cuyahoga County Archives, Cuyahoga County Court House – Probate Court, Cleveland City Hall – bureau of vital statistics or Ohio Vital records.

Marriage Registrations – Marriage registrations covering years 1810 – 1949 are on microfilm at the Cleveland Public Library.  Other years are covered at other locations including Cuyahoga County Archives and the Cuyahoga County Court House.

Newspaper Abstracts – Newspaper abstracts are an abbreviated summary of stories and articles which have been indexed by subject and date.  Here in Cleveland, the Annals of Cleveland cover years 1818 to 1935 and attempt to capture and indexed summary to the city’s life and culture.  While a large share of the articles cover national and state level topics, there are plenty of local stories. You may also want to check out old newspapers that have been digitalized and have search capabilities.

Visual Access to Find a Library

The table below is designed to present multiple ways to search for a library in a particular city or county. using the drop down menu you can select a state name and our site will presented a list of the top cities and all counties for that state. By default the table starts with Ohio, which you can override with any other state.

To the right of each there are pre-programmed search links to Yellow Page Maps, Google Maps, Google Earth, BingMaps, and Facebook. Unfortunately, you must be logged into Facebook for that search to work properly.

We have provided multiple links because any one approach to searching has limitations. The five pre-programmed links allow you to very quickly see the results of alternative searches. Each of the mapping results then includes direct links the the libraries website as well as phone numbers.

Another alternative to finding a library is by using the site LibraryTechnology.org.

In my own personal journey we have needed to find libraries in cities that we never visited and a visual map of locations was helpful.

Guide Books

• Guidebook –
• Guidebook –

Related Resources

• Get Started Guides – Home Page
• AncestryPaths – Home Page

External Resources

• At Library Ancestry.com
• At Library FamilySearch.org
• At Library Wikipedia.org
• At Library AmericanAncestors.org
• Find a Library LibraryTechnology.org