The Local History & Genealogy Division is located on the 2nd floor of the Rundel Library Building. This Division holds the largest collection of primary and secondary source materials about the history of Rochester and the Genesee Valley in the region, as well as a vast assemblage of Resources to help you research your family history. Materials do not circulate; they must be used in the division.
Expert staff are available to help you by telephone, email, or in person for quick reference questions. Walk-ins are welcome. Appointments are recommended for researchers wishing to use our special collections and those needing assistance with in-depth inquiries. Request an appointment or search archival collections.
We welcome visits from classes or groups of all ages. If you have a local history or genealogy topic you wish to explore, or if you’d simply like to learn about all of the wonderful resources we have here in the division, please fill out this form. Please note that we appreciate having two weeks’ notice for a group visit.
115 South Avenue
Rochester, NY 14604
(585) 428-8370
lochist@libraryweb.org
2nd Floor of the Rundel Memorial Library Building.
The 1950 census records were released by the U.S. National Archives on April 1, 2022. This website provides full access to the 1950 census images, including population schedules, enumeration district maps, and enumeration district descriptions.
Early American genealogical records, searchable genealogical research journals and magazines and the largest collection of U.S. Catholic records online.
The world’s largest online family history resource providing access to billions of historical records, millions of family trees, census records, military records and more.
A collection of over 3000 primary source documents spanning six phases of Black freedom: Slavery and Abolitionist Movement (1790–1860), Civil War and Reconstruction (1861–1877), Jim Crow Era (1878–1932), New Deal and WWII (1933–1945), Civil Rights and Black Power Movements (1946–1975), and Contemporary Era (1976–2000).
High resolution color images of maps of New York State municipalities and settled areas from 1875 to 1950, from the world’s largest online digital collection of color fire insurance maps and real estate atlases.
Links to various indexes compiled by staff and volunteers of the Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County pointing to source material in the Local History & Genealogy Division.
A partner of Ancestry that provides access to genealogical and historical resources for more than 60 countries, with coverage dating back to the 1700s.
Contains the world’s largest online historical map collection spanning several centuries of cartographic information, including antique maps, nautical charts, celestial maps and more. In-library only.
Borrow ebooks and audiobooks to read on your phone or tablet using the Libby app by OverDrive.
Index of birth, marriage and death notices published in Rochester NY newspapers ca. 1960–2016.
Links to many of the digitized materials and collections held in the Local History & Genealogy Division of Rochester Public Library.
Guides pointing to information and resources useful in researching particular topics in the history of the Rochester area.
Information about special collections held in the Local History & Genealogy Division and how to access them.
A website containing digitized materials from repositories across New York State including several collections from the Rochester Public Library’s Local History & Genealogy Division.
Provides genealogists researchers and scholars with online easily-searchable first-hand accounts and coverage of the politics society and events of this region. Coverage: 1785–2010. City Residents Only.
Provides genealogists researchers and scholars with cover-to-cover access to recent newspaper content. Every page image is full-text searchable. Coverage: 2008–recent (3 month embargo). City Residents Only.
Full set of bound volumes of Rochester’s city directories and house directory supplements dating back to 1827. Several volumes have been digitized and can be accessed online. Physical collection held in Local History & Genealogy Division.
Organized by subject, contains references to articles published in Rochester-area newspapers between 1818 and 1897.
The Times-Union and its predecessors served Rochester from 1818 to 1997. At this link can be accessed the Daily Telegraph, Daily Advertiser, Daily Union, Union & Advertiser, and the Times-Union. Also available at this link are the Evening Express/Post-Express/Evening Journal (1859-1937) and the Herald (1879-1926). Full access for free in the library.
A place for K-12 students and adults to learn about the past through the stories of Rochesterians who experienced it first-hand. Access primary sources online.
© 2026 Rochester Public Library. All Rights Reserved.
Website designed and developed by Mason Digital
