History & Genealogy Collections
Collections
The Digital Archives contain hundreds of digitized records including Missouri yearbooks, St. Louis newspapers, St. Louis City and County directories, burial certificates, maps and atlases. There are a number of features within the digital archives that make it easy to discover specific items or to simply browse. The History & Genealogy Department has a vast physical collection and work will continue to digitize materials and grow the Digital Archives.
The National Genealogical Society Book Loan Collection (NGS Collection) features more than 27,000 books-- including more than 10,750 published family histories--dedicated to family history research,. Originally housed at NGS headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, the 98-year-old collection was relocated to St. Louis County Library in St. Louis, Missouri in 2001. Although access was once limited to NGS membership, the NGS Collection is now accessible to everyone through interlibrary loan services (ILL) or by visiting History & Genealogy at St. Louis County Library. Such access to published family histories is unparalleled in the genealogical community.
Using the collection via interlibrary loan services Interlibrary loan (ILL) allows one library to borrow items from another. Not every library participates in ILL, so contact your local library to see if the service is available. If it does participate, books in the NGS Collection can be obtained by the following procedure:
- View the list of NGS Collection items in the library catalog.
- Any item with a call number that does not begin with the letter "R" can be requested through ILL.
- A limit of two books at a time per borrower applies.
- Submit an ILL request to your local library.
Using the Collection Via Lookup Services
Staff will do lookups in any source its collection, including NGS books. Please review the library's lookup policy.
Donating books to the NGS Collection
Authors, compilers, and translators wanting to place their genealogical publications in a circulating collection might consider the NGS as a repository for their work. Newly published works donated to the NGS Collection may be considered for review in the National Genealogical Quarterly. Please see "Book and Media Reviews" on the NGS website.
Send donations to:
NGS Collection
St. Louis County Library
1640 South Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131-3598
Please include your address so an acknowledgement can be made.
For More Information
The History & Genealogy Department historically entered into a number of partnerships with genealogical organizations to expand collections. The Department has also worked with a variety of donors and genealogical collectors to expand resources through named collections. Examples of these collections include but are not limited to:
- National Genealogical Society Book Loan Collection
- St. Louis Genealogical Society Collection
- Julius K. Hunter & Friends African American Research Collection
- Lewis Bunker Rohrbach Collection
- Joyce A. Reisinger Collection
- William C.E. and Bessie Becker Collection
- Mary Berthold Collection
- St. Louis Jewish Genealogical Society Collection
The following CD-ROM publications and other electronic files are located on the CD-ROM computer, a public PC in the History & Genealogy Department. Inquire with a History & Genealogy staff member.
City directories are available in print, microfilm, and microfiche formats.
United States
International
We have compiled a list of newspapers and other periodicals on microfilm in our collection.
Newspaper Indexes
- Carondelet News, every-name index
- St. Louis French newspapers, every-name index
- St. Louis Globe-Democrat, index to deaths
- St. Louis County Watchman-Advocate, every-name index
- St. Louis Star-Times, title index to local history articles
- St. Louis Sun obituary index, 1989-1990
- Westliche Post, index to death notices
An index to obituaries in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is available on the St. Louis (City) Public Library website.
Scope of Collections
The History & Genealogy Department collection consists of resources that support local history and genealogical research pertaining to St. Louis; Missouri; the colonial United States; US westward migration; and immigration to Missouri. Items selected for the Genealogy Center collection are chosen for their genealogical or historical value and their practical long-term preservation and access.
In order to conduct reasonable-exhaustive research, Genealogists need at their disposal a wide-variety of resource types. The Emerson Genealogy Center considers for selection resources including, but not limited to the following:
- Abstracts, Transcripts, and Indexes of Historical Records
- Business, Community, Industry, Military, Religious, and Transportation Histories
- Published Diaries, Memoirs, and Letters
- Plat Maps and Atlases
- City, County, and Farm Directories and Phone Books
- Family Histories
- Yearbooks and School Directories
- International sources related to Missouri immigration.
The scope of resources is determined based on location-based needs. Primary selection of resources for the United States emphasizes 32 states including, but not limited to:
- Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia
International locations are identified based on Missouri immigration needs and selection is limited to resources that are available for purchase. Current locations of selection consideration include, but are not limited to:
- Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, India, Italy, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Wales
United States and International selection is regularly reviewed and revised to ensure locations of collection development meet contemporary needs.