Genealogy
Services of the State Library of Ohio
The State Library of Ohio
274 East First Avenue, Suite 100
Columbus, Ohio 43201
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday -
Thursday 9 a,m, to 5 p.m. Friday
E-mail: genhelp@sloma.state.oh.us
Telephone: (614) 644-6966
Fax: (614) 752-9178
The State Library of Ohio's genealogy collection is comprised of over 25,000 volumes and several thousand microforms. The collection focuses on Ohio as The Gateway to the West and therefore includes records for not only Ohio but also states east and south of the Ohio. Many Ohioans' ancestors migrated from these states to Ohio, some settling and some moving further west.
When the genealogy room was opened in 1933, the collection consisted of donations from various sources including the Ohio Daughters of the American Revolution. In fact, the library continues to be depository for the Ohio DAR. Furthermore, the collection of the Huguenot Society of Ohio has been added in recent years, and numerous records have been purchased over time. These sources include vital records, county histories and atlases, census data, family histories, war rosters, and genealogy how-to books. The collection is shelved on open stacks for easy access and browsing.
Genealogy Services does not have:
* Early Ohio newspapers,
* Original land records
All materials labeled "Genealogy" are noncirculating. The Library does have a small selection of genealogy and local history books which do circulate.
Birth & Death Records
Also known as "vital records" along with
marriages, certificates of birth and death are some of the best sources
of genealogical data. While the State Library of Ohio does not hold actual
birth and death certificates, numerous books in the collection list names
and dates extracted from records filed in county courthouses. Researchers
can also write to the appropriate government agency for a copy of the record.
Census Records
The State Library has access to all available
U.S. census records from 1790 to 1930 and nearly all census indexes in
its genealogy collection. These records are derived from several sources,
including online subscription services, microfilm, CD, and print media.
Cemetery Records
Numerous Ohio cemeteries have been transcribed
by researchers, printed in book form, and collected by the State Library.
These records have been annotated by Genealogy Services in the library's
copy of the Ohio Genealogical Society's Ohio Cemeteries, which lists all
Ohio cemeteries by county and township. This allows researchers to quickly
determine if grave records are available for ancestors buried in a known
cemetery, township, or county.
Family Histories
A fifth of the Genealogy Services book
collection and the Family Name File (vertical file) consists of family
genealogies that have been donated to the library. These valuable sources
are gratefully accepted by the library on a continuing basis. The State
Library accepts virtually all genealogical and local historical donations,
whether or not they are related to Ohio. Only items which are disorganized
or archival in nature are not accepted. The library's Family Name Index
is a card file index to many of the book genealogies.
Military Records
To assist genealogists researching their
ancestors' military service, rosters of soldiers from Ohio and many other
states are available at the State Library for the Revolutionary War, War
of 1812, Civil War, War with Mexico, SpanishAmerican War, World War I,
and other conflicts. These rosters, along with veterans' grave registrations
in the collection, provide information that enables the researcher to obtain
service and/or pension records from the National Archives. The World War
I Draft Registration cards for Ohio is a unique set which often serves
as a substitute for the 1920 U.S. census.
Photocopying
Many photocopiers and microform reader-printers
are available for selfphotocopying at 10 cents per page.
Online Services
Genealogy Services also subscribes to
many online genealogy services, among them:
* AncestryPlus
* HeritageQuest Online
* Genealogy.Com
* Civil War Research Database
* Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1867-1970
Ohio
Correspondence Policy
The Genealogy librarian will respond
to briefly stated, specific questions sent by e-mail or regular mail. e.g.
"Please look for Anne Watkins in the indexed cemetery records of Franklin
County" or "Please check the 1930 Pennsylvania Census for Angelo Caretti."
Open-ended and "needle-in-the-haystack" requests are highly discouraged.
Researchers seeking inquiry for such questions should consult our list
of researchers for hire on our website. One query per request will
be checked. Research that results in up to 10 pages of photocopies is free
of charge. More than 10 pages costs $0.25 per page. Please include
a postal mailing address with all correspondence.
The Catalog & the Internet
All books are cataloged under the Library
of Congress (LC) classification system and can be searched by subject,
author, title, and keyword via a computerized online catalog. This catalog
is accessible on the internet from the Genealogy Services webpage
http://winslo.state.oh.us/services/
genealogy/index.html
Provided by: SUMMIT COUNTY CHAPTER
OHIO GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
P O Box 2232
Akron OH 44309-2232
e-mail: SummitOGS@ald.net
Back to the Summit County Genealogy Home Page