Discover your roots

• Birth certificates, death certificates, and obituaries
• Genealogy and family history
• Genealogy information

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• Genealogy

Online resources

HeritageQuest

This resource combines digital, searchable images of U.S. federal census records with the digitized version of the popular Genealogy & Local History collection and other valuable content. This online resource is an essential collection of unique material for genealogical and historical researchers, with coverage dating back to the late 1700s. Researchers can use HeritageQuest online to find their ancestors, trace their paths across America, and learn what life was like in the areas where they settled.

A comprehensive full-text history reference database designed for secondary schools, public libraries, junior/community colleges, and undergraduate research. To learn more about the History Reference Center, check out the History Reference Center tutorial.

The JV Brown Library has  made available over 2,000 of our local historical photographs, drawings and images for your research use. Images are shown in a small version for browsing or as a full size image for detail. Plus you can also search other digital archives collections from Pennsylvania.

The library’s newspaper archives were indexed from 1807 through 1904. The index, which includes birth, death and marriage announcements, is available as part of our online catalog.

Williamsport’s weekly newspaper from 1882 to 1990, the Grit is available online through the Paper of Record.

Websites

Lewisburg, Union County: Early settlement through the Civil War. An online collection of materials relating to the people and events of the local area. Included are published histories, Civil War resources and biographies, manuscripts and full text access to local newspapers of the era from 1855 to 1892, as well as local genealogical data for the four-county area. From Bucknell University.

Links to sites useful for those researching their Pennsylvania roots.

A list of all printed, microfilmed, and online city directories in the United States, and where to find them.

Collection of genealogical sites on the Internet with an international focus. Includes regional sources, sites on ethnic history, as well as some unusual/obscure sites.

The names of over 22 million new or returning immigrants who passed through Ellis Island, N.Y., between 1892 and 1924. Search by name, age, port of departure, ship’s name, or date of arrival.

Ancestor search function accesses the Ancestral File, International Genealogical Index (British Isles, North America, and Finland regions), and other genealogy web sites.

Family History Centers are branch facilities of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Centers provide access to most of the microfilms and microfiche in the Family History Library to help patrons identify their ancestors.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Digital Archives

Online access to documents, photographs, sound/video recordings, and other primary resource material. The documents are from the President's Secretary's File (PSF) and include the Safe Files and British, German, and Vatican diplomatic correspondence; fireside chat sound files; a political cartoon archive; and biographical information about the president. From Marist College.

How-to articles, classes and other resources to help you dig deeper into your family’s past.

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is one of the most complete and professional genealogy centers in the nation – and the largest in the mid-Atlantic region. The Society collects genealogical materials from Pennsylvania and every other state east of the Mississippi River.

Images of Vanished American Workers 1900-1980. A browsable "selection of 155 photographs excerpted from a collection of more than 1100 company histories, pamphlets, and technical brochures. Many of the images document factories and jobs that no longer exist." Images may be browsed by category such as textile or automotive.

A non-profit organization dedicated to the encouragement of research, publication, collection and preservation of genealogical materials.

Part of the USGenWeb project, this nonprofit research site includes cemetery records, John F. Meginness's 1892 History of Lycoming County, and other helpful links.

Forms and requirements for requesting an official birth or death certificate.

Local groups and local chapters of some national organizations, plus links to browse-able archives of several mailing lists.

The Pennsylvania Scrap Book Necrology began as scrapbooks that were created between 1891 and 1904. They include over 11,500 pages from the 80 volumes of scrapbooks. The obituaries record the deaths of many Civil War veterans, but also include non-veterans and many born after the end of the war. Young soldiers killed in combat or by disease during the Spanish-American War and the Boxer Rebellion are also included.

Archives for Usenet groups devoted to genealogical research. Links to many national/regional Online resources, mailing lists, and a growing surname registry.

Written by professional researchers, this multi-part tutorial shows the amateur genealogist how to locate, evaluate, and interpret source materials. Includes many useful links and sidebars.

Free access to the Social Security Death Benefits Master File, 1962 to the present. Search by name, state, birth date, death date, and/or Social Security number. Note: only persons receiving Social Security benefits at the time of their death are included.

The Genealogy and Local History Collection of the State Library of Pennsylvania consists of a wide variety of indexes, genealogies, state and county histories, atlases, land warranty maps, ship lists, and compilations of church and cemetery records, as well as the Pennsylvania Federal Census records on microfilm.

Search or browse over 1700 letters, manuscripts, and public papers. The site also provides the full text of 1,750 manuscript documents related to the construction of the University of Virginia, a recently revised edition of a biography originally published eight years after Jefferson's death, 2700 quotations from his writings, and links to other Jefferson collections and organizations.

Links to genealogical organizations by state and county with access to a variety of specialized genealogical resources.