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Genealogy and Family History

Library Subscription Databases | Getting Started / Research Aids | Vital Records Census Records | Immigration / Naturalization | Military Records | Cemetery & Death Records | Charts & Forms | Local Genealogy Organizations

Genealogy and Family History

Genealogy

Library Subscription Databases

Ancestry.com – Library Edition In Library Use Only
Provides access to more than 1 billion names, more than 3,000 databases, primary-source document images and a variety of genealogical research features including records from the U.S. Federal Census between 1790-1930, immigration, vital, military, court, church, ethnic records and city directories.
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Search “The Brooklyn Daily Eagle” from October 26, 1841 to December 31, 1902. Search by keyword, date or selected subject. Special instructions for genealogy and immigration included.
Fold3
Powered by Ancestry.com Fold3 provides convenient access to US military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.
Heritage Quest
Powered by Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest is a comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids.
New York State Historic Newspapers
The New York State Historic Newspapers database provides free online access to a wide range of newspapers chosen to reflect New York’s unique history. Historic newspapers from forty New York State counties are available to search or browse.
Proquest Historical Newspapers: New York Amsterdam News
This historical newspaper provides genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time.
Suffolk County Historic Newspapers
Now part of the New York State Historic Newspapers Database.
World Vital Records
Thousands of databases—including birth, death, military, census, and parish records — WorldVitalRecords.com makes it easy to fill in missing information in your family tree.

Getting Started / Research Aids

Ancestry.com – Library Edition In Library Use Only
Provides access to more than 1 billion names, more than 3,000 databases, primary-source document images and a variety of genealogical research features including records from the U.S. Federal Census between 1790-1930, immigration, vital, military, court, church, ethnic records and city directories.
Ancestry Library Edition – Wiki
A searchable topic guide on all things genealogy
CyndisList
A categorized & cross-referenced index to genealogical resources on the Internet, Cyndi’s List is free for everyone to use and it is meant to be your starting point when researching online.
Family History Center (Order Microfilm)
The Suffolk County Library System has been designated a Family History Center Affiliate Library. This designation entitles patrons to request most microfilm and microfiche listed in the Family History Library Catalog. Patrons will need to request items by creating a free account and filling out the form on the Family History Center website. Additional instructions can be found on the Live-Brary Topics Guide page.
Family Search Learning Center
Free courses on a wide range of family history topics.
Family Search Research Wiki
Get genealogical research advice, or learn where to find record collections in more than 80,000 articles.
Live-brary Topic Guide : Genealogy
Suffolk Cooperative Library System developed this topic guide to help direct users to the best genealogy resources.
Long Island Genealogy
Long Island Genealogy was created in 1993 to provide a means for Long Island family history researchers to share, exchange and connect with fellow researchers.
New York GenWeb
A site run by volunteers working together to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county of New York State. This Project is non-commercial and fully committed to free genealogy access for everyone. NYGenWeb provides you with links to all the state genealogy websites which, in turn, provide gateways to the counties.
Where to Write for Vital Records in the United States
Guides users to the state and local agencies where they may obtain vital records.

Vital Records

Ancestry.com – Library Edition In Library Use Only
Provides access to more than 1 billion names, more than 3,000 databases, primary-source document images and a variety of genealogical research features including records from the U.S. Federal Census between 1790-1930, immigration, vital, military, court, church, ethnic records and city directories.
Family Search
The largest genealogy organization in the world, FamilySearch maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family history. FamilySearch gathers, preserves, and shares genealogical records worldwide. In addition, FamilySearch offers personal assistance at more than 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries, including the Family History Libraries in Plainview and Terryville.
Italian Genealogy Group: Searchable Index for NYC Vital Records
Use the IGG index to search for your New York City ancestors. This searchable index is especially useful, as it provides the certificate numbers required by the NYC Department of Health and Department of Records to obtain your ancestor’s certificate of birth/death/marriage.
New York City: Office of the City Clerk
The Office of the City Clerk maintains a record of marriages that took place within the five boroughs after 1930.
New York City Department of Health : Birth Certificates
The Department of Health maintains records of birth reported in the five Boroughs of New York City after 1909. Requests can be submitted online or by mail.
New York City Department of Health : Death Certificates
The Department of Health maintains records of death reported in the five Boroughs of New York City after 1948. Requests can be submitted online or by mail.
New York City Department of Records : Municipal Archives
The Municipal Archives maintains records of births reported in the five Boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island), prior to 1910; deaths reported prior to 1949; and marriages reported prior to 1930.
New York State Vital Records
The Vital Records Section of the New York State Department of Health files certificates for births and deaths that occur in New York State outside of New York City and for marriage licenses issued in New York State outside of New York City. Also on file are divorce records for all of New York State since 1963. The Vital Records Section provides qualified applicants with certified copies of the certificates associated with these events. Uncertified copies of older certificates are available for genealogy research.
World Vital Records
Thousands of databases—including birth, death, military, census, and parish records — WorldVitalRecords.com makes it easy to fill in missing information in your family tree.

Census Records

Ancestry.com – Library Edition In Library Use Only
Provides access to more than 1 billion names, more than 3,000 databases, primary-source document images and a variety of genealogical research features including records from the U.S. Federal Census between 1790-1930, immigration, vital, military, court, church, ethnic records and city directories.
Family Search
The largest genealogy organization in the world, FamilySearch maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family history. FamilySearch gathers, preserves, and shares genealogical records worldwide. In addition, FamilySearch offers personal assistance at more than 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries, including the Family History Libraries in Plainview and Terryville.
Heritage Quest
Powered by Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest is a comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids.
National Archives
Provides researchers with an understanding of how their ancestors interacted with the federal government. Includes census, military, immigration, naturalization and land records.

Immigration / Naturalization

Ancestry.com – Library Edition In Library Use Only
Provides access to more than 1 billion names, more than 3,000 databases, primary-source document images and a variety of genealogical research features including records from the U.S. Federal Census between 1790-1930, immigration, vital, military, court, church, ethnic records and city directories.
Castle Garden
Pre-dates Ellis Island as New York’s port of entry. Offers free access to information on 10 million immigrants from 1830 through 1892.
Ellis Island
Search 22 million indexed records of immigrants, passengers and crew members who arrived at the Port of New York from 1892 to 1924.
Family Search
The largest genealogy organization in the world, FamilySearch maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family history. FamilySearch gathers, preserves, and shares genealogical records worldwide. In addition, FamilySearch offers personal assistance at more than 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries, including the Family History Libraries in Plainview and Terryville.
Fold3
Powered by Ancestry.com Fold3 provides convenient access to US military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.
Immigrant Ship Transcribers Guild
17,000+ Passenger Manifests in 16 Volumes.
National Archives
Provides researchers with an understanding of how their ancestors interacted with the federal government. Includes census, military, immigration, naturalization and land records.
New York City Naturalization Records & Index
Links to available online indexes for New York City only.
New York State Archives
Provides access to more than 200 million documents that tell the story of New York from the seventeenth century to the present. From its main facility, it also administers statewide programs that reach out to state agencies, local governments and community organizations. Archives staff are located in nine regional offices around the State to address the archives and records management concerns of every area of the State.
New York State Naturalization Records & Index
Links to available online indexes, arranged alphabetically by county.
One Step WebPages by Steve Morse
This site contains tools for finding immigration records, census records, vital records, and for dealing with calendars, maps, foreign alphabets, and numerous other applications. Some of these tools fetch data from other websites but do so in more versatile ways than the search tools provided on those websites.

Military Records

Fold3
Powered by Ancestry.com Fold3 provides convenient access to US military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.
National Archives
Provides researchers with an understanding of how their ancestors interacted with the federal government. Includes census, military, immigration, naturalization and land records.
National Archives – Military Records
The National Archives holds Federal military service records from the Revolutionary War to 1912 in the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. Military records from WWI – present are held in the National Military Personnel Records Center (NPRC), in St. Louis, Missouri. Some information can be obtained online, as well as information on submitting research requests.
National Parks Service – Soldiers and Sailors Database
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS) is a database containing information about the men who served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. Other information on the site includes histories of Union and Confederate regiments, links to descriptions of significant battles, and selected lists of prisoner-of-war records and cemetery records, which will be amended over time. The CWSS is a cooperative effort between the National Park Service and several public and private partners whose goal is to increase Americans’ understanding of this decisive era in American history by making information about it widely accessible.

Cemetery & Death Records

Family Search
The largest genealogy organization in the world, FamilySearch maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family history. FamilySearch gathers, preserves, and shares genealogical records worldwide. In addition, FamilySearch offers personal assistance at more than 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries, including the Family History Libraries in Plainview and Terryville.
Find A Grave
Provides researchers with an understanding of how their ancestors interacted with the federal government. Includes census, military, immigration, naturalization and land records.
Internment
Searchable database of cemeteries around the world. Contributors post photos and transcriptions of head stones.

Charts & Forms

Printable charts and forms to help keep your family history organized.
Ancestry – Library Edition : Charts and Forms
Family Search
Family Tree Magazine
National Archives

Local Genealogy Organizations

Genealogy Federation of Long Island
The Federation is comprised of thirteen local genealogy organizations. Many of the organizations were formed to assist researchers in tracing specific ethnic or geographic origins, while others help their members with general family history research and the use of computers in genealogy. The Federation presents genealogy programs at local public libraries and publishes a monthly calendar to inform the public about the specific details of each of these meetings.
German Genealogical Group
Irish Family History Forum
Italian Genealogical Group
Jewish Genealogical Society of Long Island

Upcoming Programs

  • October is Family History Month at MCPL!

Genealogy Research Assistance

  • Please complete this form and a staff member will contact you to setup a one-one-one research appointment. Please note that our staff members are family history enthusiasts and not certified genealogists. If we are unable to help with your research we will guide you to the appropriate resources.

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Saturday 9:30 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Sunday 1:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
(September through June)

Nature Explorium
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Contact

Phone (631) 585-9393
Fax (631) 585-5035
info@mcpl.lib.ny.us

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