The Grems-Doolittle Library contains books and manuscripts focusing on genealogy and local history of the Schenectady County area, including the nearby counties in upstate New York from the colonial period to the present day. Appointments are required to visit and do research in the Grems-Doolittle Library. Researchers must contact the librarian at least two business days in advance to schedule an appointment and must provide a list of specific items to view during the appointment. Visit the Research Resources page for more information on research, appointments, and using the materials in our collection.
Contact the librarian: Marietta Carr, librarian@schenectadyhistorical.org, 518-374-0263 x3
Catalog & Digital Collections
Search our catalog online at https://schenectadyhistorical.catalogaccess.com/
Search our finding aids and collection descriptions: https://www.empireadc.org/search/repositories/nschchi
Search our digital collection through NY Heritage at https://nyheritage.org/contributors/schenectady-county-historical-society
Schenectady County History Forge, a new digital mapping project, at https://schenectady.historyforge.net/— (learn more about the project on our blog)
Collections
The following list is an overview of the types of materials found in the SCHS Library and includes links to descriptions, indexes, and contents lists with more details on the materials within each category:
- Accounts (from historic manuscripts collection)
- Almanacs
- Almshouse records
- Bibles
- Bank and financial documents (from historic manuscripts collection)
- Bonds (from historic manuscripts collection)
- Broadsides (from historic manuscripts collection)
- Cemetery Records (Schenectady County)
- Certificates, Diplomas, and Awards
- Church documents (from historic manuscripts collection)
- Church Records (Schenectady County)
- Church Records outside Schenectady County
- City Directories
- Clipping Files (Schenectady City, Schenectady County and Towns, New York State and Counties, General Topics)
- Commissions (from historic manuscripts collection)
- Deeds (from historic manuscripts collection)
- Education documents (from historic manuscripts collection)
- Family files
- Genealogy Documents (from historic manuscripts collection)
- General Letters (from historic manuscripts collection)
- Legal matters documents (from historic manuscripts collection)
- Maps (see map collection guides below)
- Military documents (from historic manuscripts collection)
- Miscellaneous historical documents (from historic manuscripts collection)
- Newspaper vital records indexes
- Newspapers on microfilm for the period 1795–1875
- Oral histories
- Periodicals
- Photographs (see heading for photograph collections below)
- Politics (from historic manuscripts collection)
- Postcards
- Scrapbooks
- Wills for Schenectady County on microfilm, 1809-1901. Additionally, we have copies of some local wills in our historic manuscripts collection.
- Vault Books
- Yearbooks
Finding Aids:
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[faq p=7585]
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Further Resources:
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