• Published Family Genealogies
• Unpublished Family Genealogies
• County Histories
• Biographical Dictionaries
• County Atlases and Land Ownership Maps
• Census Materials
• Newspapers
• City Directories
• Electronic Text Center
• Parish and other local registers
• Colonial and State records
• Genealogical Periodicals
• Guides to genealogical research
• Bibliographies
• Peerage Lists, Heraldry
• Family papers, including Diaries and Letters
• Land Records
• Alumni Records
• Church, School, Business, and Town Records

• Use of Cornell University Libraries by Visiting Readers
• Olin Stack Directory

In addition to our local online catalog, CUL provides access to two national online "catalogs", OCLC's WorldCat, and RLG's Eureka. Both these services provide, in a single database, records to all their members' holdings. OCLC has several thousand member libraries and around 40 million records. Many archival records have been entered. Note that these resources are restricted to the Cornell community.

RLG's Eureka has fewer records (still about 20 million) but combines the catalogs of about 30 major research libraries. Eureka also searches RLG's enormous AMC file of archival and manuscript collections from many other libraries.

These two databases may have differences in the search terms and functions, but they both search for words, or sets of words, just as the Cornell catalog does.

Please note: The search results in these databases will not necessarily reflect Cornell's holdings. Do not hesitate to contact the Reference Desk if you need help interpreting Eureka and Worldcat search results.

Remember only the major family lines in the genealogy are given a subject heading, and frequently only the title family.

Use our online "Help" or ask at the reference desk, if the results are confusing.

Note that most published genealogies are given the classification CC100 to CC200. It is possible to browse the stacks in this call number area. CC's are shelved on the seventh floor in Olin Library. It's also possible to browse the call number area online. Just enter the call number and choose the "Call Number" index from the pull-down menu on the right.

We shelve by size as well as call number, so remember to check both sides of the aisle, if you decide to browse the stacks. See "Olin Library Stack Directory" for help in using the collection. If you would like to know more about LC Classification see the handout " The Library of Congress Classification System."

Many county histories are now available online. For example, excerpts of the Centre county mentioned above are available electronically through the Centre County Library System, or Centre County PAGenWeb Project Home Page.

A Basic Search by Subject Heading will generally require information about the place and subdivision, as in:

Frequently a keyword search will be easier than a subject search which requires some knowledge of Library of Congress subject headings.

Also available online, in the Cornell Catalog, for the following years:

Cornell patrons can find further information about people and places, by selecting "Search PERSI," available at HeritageQuest Online.

The Reference Department has much of use to genealogists. For the beginner, there are many guides and introductions. Some examples:

Please check the Olin Library Reference collection, under the call numbers starting with CS to find more genealogical guides.

This next networked index allows the user to search a combined index of many standard biographical dictionaries, or encyclopedias, by personal name:

A representative biographical encyclopedia (among many in Reference) would be:

and

There are also many biographical resources that might not be immediately apparent to new users. K. G. Saur has produced several large microfiche collections of national biographies (US, British, German). These consist of entries from dozens of biographical dictionaries, re-arranged in a single alphabet:

Under the General Interest and Reference section in Find Databases, select biographies to see a list of electronic resources to biographies.

For example, Ancestry, and HeritageQuest Online are now available to the Cornell Community and our campus visitors.

with its supplements

and

It holds our CD-ROM collection. This is a self-service facility. The disks are on the shelves in the center, and can be read from ETC computers 2,3,4 and 6. The software is easy to use, but don't hesitate to ask for help if you have trouble finding or loading the disks, or using the software.

Many of these disks, and more, are also available at the LDS Family History Library in Ithaca (see Non-Cornell Local Resources).

Many Census indexes and indexes of other resources have become available on CD-ROM through Automated Archives, FamilyTreeMaker, and other genealogical publishers. The reference department has selected those of research interest for New York and the Northeast. There are indexes for the US Censuses from 1790 (the entire US) to 1870, most for NY only. Other indexes are for birth and death lists, marriage records and Social Security Death records.

For example, this next CD includes information from most towns in Upstate New York counties, with the following vital records: church, cemetery, Bible, census, school, tax and military. There are ca. 300.000 individuals listed for upstate New York. The time period covers the late 1600's to the early 1900's. This data is unique, and not available online.

This, of course, is only a sample of the materials available in the Reference Division. Many commonly used genealogical reference books are not housed in the Reference Department but in the stacks. For example:

and its supplement:

Ancestry, Ellis Island Records, and Castle Garden provide extensive immigration and passenger lists.

Please Note: Hours vary with academic calendar and staffing levels -- please call ahead. For general information and policies, go to the Maps and Geospacial site.

There is a microfiche set of NY county atlases cataloged by county, Microfiche 647, and another set of county atlases for the Eastern US cataloged by state, Microfiche 1523(CT) - 1545(WI) and 1553(PA). Access in the catalog is by county name (for printed atlases and the NY state set of microfiche) and the subdivision:   maps

Search for: staten island new york ny maps

Search by: Subject Heading

Search for: staten maps

Search by: Keyword

We also have a collection of ward and census district maps for major urban areas, available in paper or fiche format.

Available:

This microfilm set contains directories for U.S. cities through 1860, but only major cities in NY State from 1861-1901.

There is a small un cataloged collection of city directories from the US and Canada in the Annex Library. These are very scattered issues from 1920-50. There is an inventory in the Reference Division vertical file s.v. "City Directories."

Cornell has a substantial collection of NY local newspapers, both in paper copy and microform. Newspapers from major U.S. cities have the most complete representation. We also have a more or less complete collection of many local papers. In addition, Cornell has the microprint collection of early american newspapers covering 1704-1820. The best way to search for these newspaper is by newspaper title in the online catalog.

We have some obituary indexes, notably for the New York Times, but also for the Ithaca Journal:

The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections currently includes 300,000 printed volumes, more than seventy million manuscripts, and another million photographs, paintings, prints, and other visual media. The Division also houses the Cornell University Archives.

Photocopies of research material can be made, depending on the physical condition and donor restrictions. Photographic scanning services are also available. There is a charge for these services.

In addition to the University Archives, the department houses a regional history collection. The collection's strengths are in upstate NY historical documents and records. A sample of the kinds of material available:

• Family papers, including diaries and letters

• Unpublished genealogies

• Church, school and business records

• Cemetery inscriptions and marriage and death notices

• Land holdings (John Greig, Pulteney Estate)

• Deceased alumni records, University biographical file

• Photographs, broadsides, maps

Collections are cataloged (in the division, and, increasingly, in the online catalog) by surname, subject, and geographical area. Restricted collections are marked as such. Some collections are housed in the Annex Library and require at least a day's notice to retrieve. This service is not available on weekends. The division provides a brochure with more information.

The Guides are available in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections and in the stacks. Guides have been completed for all NY counties. For similar guides in other states do a subject search in the catalog under state, or county name, and the subdivisions:   history   sources   bibliography.

The NY guides can be ordered from

Order forms and additional information are available from the Archive's web site.

Steele Memorial Library
One Library Plaza
Elmira, NY 14901
(607) 734-5572
Steele Memorial Library Genealogy Room

Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints
Family History Center
114 Burleigh Dr.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 257-1334
Hours:
Wednesday   9am-12:30pm & 6:30pm-9pm
Thursday   9am-4pm & 6:30pm-9pm
Closed for 2 weeks in December

Electronic Genealogy at Cornell We've prepared a special page for doing genealogical research on the Web. The page collects the most popular top-level sites and gives beginning researchers a good jumping-off place for electronic genealogy. In addition to general web site, the page includes some advice for beginners, a brief bibliography and a review of useful site only available on the Cornell Campus.

1. Prepare. If you have never done genealogical research, read one of the many available guides and introductions. Come to the library with a plan for research, perhaps a list of the family line you're tracing, of material you think will answer your questions.

2. Ask for help with specific questions about library policies, organizations, card catalogs, citations, etc.

3. There is no "Genealogical Section" set aside for research; no special genealogical collection; no staff genealogist.

4. The U.S. Census schedules are available online through our Cornell subscription to Ancestry. Cornell doesn't have the schedules for the New York State censuses. They may be borrowed from the LDS's Family History Center, and from HeritageQuestOnline.

5. Visit the library for your research. Letters asking the staff to do genealogical research receive lowest priority. No attempt is made to answer those too general or excessively time-consuming. Phone requests for anything but specific information cannot be answered.

6. Interlibrary lending services are available for the Cornell community only. In general, genealogies are not lent or borrowed.

7. Some materials may not be immediately available. Much archival and book material is housed in the Annex Library and generally requires a day's notice or more for retrieval. There is no access on weekends.
   Call for current hours 607-255-4144