Ohio Archives, Libraries, and Societies

This entry was originally written by Carol L. Maki and Michael John Neill for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.

This article is part of the Ohio Family History Research series.

History of Ohio

Ohio Vital Records

Census Records for Ohio

Background Sources for Ohio

Ohio Maps

Ohio Land Records

Ohio Probate Records

Ohio Court Records

Ohio Tax Records

Ohio Cemetery Records

Ohio Church Records

Ohio Military Records

Ohio Periodicals, Newspapers, and Manuscript Collections

Ohio Archives, Libraries, and Societies

Ethnic Groups of Ohio

Ohio County Resources

Map of Ohio

Ohio Historical Society Archives-Library Division 1985 Velma Ave. Columbus, OH 43211 www.ohiohistory.org The society's library collections document the history of Ohio and its people, including 125,000 books and pamphlets, 40,000 reels of newspaper microfilm, and 20,000 volumes of original newspapers. The newspaper collection is one of the nation's largest. The audiovisual collections are outstanding, including nearly 7,500 photographs of locomotives and railroad subjects in the G. Hayes Coleman series. Major works on the settlement and government of Northwest Territory are in the rare books division. The society houses (at the above address) the State Archives of Ohio, with more than 30,000 cubic feet of state and local government records. The society's website contains a number of online databases, including the Ohio Death Certificate Index (1913'37), a searchable database of Ohio Civil War flags, and an Ohio newspaper bibliography. The society also serves the central Ohio counties as part of the Ohio Network of American History Research Centers. The academic journal Ohio History is published by the society and has been indexed from 1887 to 2000. The Directory of Historical Organizations in Ohio can be obtained from the society as well. State Library of Ohio Genealogy Division 274 E. First St. Columbus OH 43201 http://winslo.state.oh.us/services/genealogy/index.html The Genealogy Division holds microfilm; printed, typescript, and manuscript collections, including family and local histories; atlases; cemetery records; city directories; military records; censuses and census indexes; and transcribed records provided by the Ohio chapters of the DAR. See 'The State Library of Ohio,' in the Ohio Genealogical Society's The Report 23 (Winter 1983): 187-88, for a description of the holdings of the State Library of Ohio. Ohio Genealogical Society 713 S. Main St. Mansfield, OH 44907 www.org.org Membership includes a quarterly, The Report, and the monthly OGS Newsletter. The society also publishes two additional quarterlies: Ohio Records and Pioneer Families, and the Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal, available through a separate subscription. The society has annual meetings, 100 county chapters, the Families of Ohio lineage society, and publishes various items of genealogical and historical interest. This library contains over 15,000 volumes, family vertical files, Bible records, ancestors cards, manuscript files, census microfilm, and a broad variety of other valuable resources for research in Ohio. A response to a written request for general and specific information is answered promptly, cordially, and very thoroughly. Western Reserve Historical Society 10825 East Blvd. Cleveland, OH 44106 www.wrhs.org Its extensive manuscript collection (published guide available by mail) is supplemented by an equally extensive microfilm collection of federal census returns, Shaker records, and the National Archives Revolutionary War pension records. The society also has an extensive collection of printed Ohio material. The society serves as the network center (see below) for its area and charges a per-day fee for nonmembers. Ohio Network of American History Research Centers Established in 1970 to aid in the collection, preservation, and accessibility of research materials related to Ohio history, the network is composed of seven institutions'Ohio's two largest historical societies and five state universities. A central feature of the network is the division of the entire state into seven distinct geographical areas for research. Each center also collects county records for its area, but the amount of material available may vary greatly from county to county. Archives Services University of Akron Libraries Polsky Bldg. Akron, OH 44325-1702 Serves Region 1'East Central Ohio Center for Archival Collections Jerome Library Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403-0175 Serves Region 2'Northwest Ohio Archives and Rare Books Department Blegen Library'8th Floor University Libraries University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH 45221-0113 Serves Region 3'Southwest Ohio

Archives'Library Division Ohio Historical Society 1985 Velma Ave. Columbus, OH 43211 Serves Region 4'Central Ohio Archives and Special Collections Alden Library Ohio University Athens, OH 45701-2978 Serves Region 5'Southeast Ohio Western Reserve Historical Society 10825 East Blvd. Cleveland, OH 44106 Serves Region 6'Northeast Ohio Special Collections and Archives Paul Laurence Dunbar Library Wright State University Library Dayton, OH 45435-0001 Serves Region 7'West Central Ohio For information about the network and service of its centers, contact either the specific center or headquarters at the Ohio Historical Society.