Genealogy

To get started, please see the Genealogy Topic Guide. If you encounter a barrier in your research a librarian is available to help you with your genealogy research. To schedule an appointment, you can call the reference desk or fill out this form.

To search all of our genealogy holdings, use the Genealogy Collection Catalog.

The library subscribes to several research databases including americanancestors.org, America’s Obituaries and Death Notices, Ancestry Library Edition, Find My Past, Fold3, Heritage Quest, Sanborn Digital Maps of New York State and World Vital Records. Some are available from home with your library barcode and password. Click here to access all of our research databases.

The Patchogue-Medford Library is the only library on Long Island that has the microfiche for The New York State Vital Records Index. The microfiche begins in 1881 and currently includes births up to an including 1936 and marriages and deaths up to and including 1964. The microfiche does not cover New York City. The microfiche is located in the Periodicals Plus Room and is available Monday – Friday from 10-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10-2 p.m. The library owns microfilm for many periodicals and newspapers as well as Suffolk County census records and city directories of Brooklyn and New York City.

Additional resources can be found in our Celia M. Hastings Local History Room including the Index to Birth, Marriage and Death Announcements in The Long Island Advance. The Long Island Advance, historically known as The Advance and The Patchogue Advance, is a weekly newspaper established in 1871. The room is open Monday – Wednesday 6-9, Thursday – Friday 2-5, Saturday 9:30 am – 12 p.m. and 2-5 p.m., and Sundays when available.

The Patchogue-Medford Library Genealogy Research Group holds monthly meetings from 10 -11:30 a.m. typically on the 4^th Saturday of the month except for July and August. A Getting Started session is offered before the meetings from 9:30 – 10 a.m. The meetings are free and open to the public. Check the library events calendar for specific dates and topics. The bi-monthly newsletter can be found here. You can also join the Genealogy Research Group on Facebook.