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For Genealogy Researchers: Family & Local History Resources

Donald J. Nicolls History Room & Genealogy Requests

 

Located on the second floor of the New Castle Public Library, the Donald J. Nicolls History Room* collection includes local city directories, yearbooks, standard reference works, county histories, and other materials related to Lawrence County history and genealogy. The collection is especially strong in county cemetery records and local family histories.

 

If you need the assistance of one of our genealogy staff members, please call ahead to make sure one will be available when you plan to come. We also take appointments at 724-658-6659, ext. 112, or genealogy@ncdlc.org

*Food, drink, or bags are not permitted in the history room. Items in the history room collection cannot leave the room.

 

Other Requests

Pages from city directories, telephone books, family histories, or any other item located in the history room collection can be provided ONLY if the exact citation is given (title, author, and page number) provided the item condition allows it to be scanned or copied. Please note that the maximum request is 10 pages per month.

Fees

The fee for this service is determined by the amount of time needed to perform the search, as well as any copying fees. Information on more than one person can be included in each request. The library will charge a minimum service charge of $5, plus $1 for each additional page. So if a patron requests 1 page of information, the charge would be $5. Two are $6, three are $7, etc.

 

An invoice will be sent with the information and payment should be returned with the invoice to the library’s business office. If you use this service, please give as much information about the person(s) that you are searching, such as spouse, dates, location, etc. This helps us to verify that we have the correct person or family. The more information you can provide, the better the chances that we can provide you with the information you need. If you would like a copy of the obituary, please include your regular mail address. This will help fill your request sooner.

Genealogy Requests

 

The Genealogy staff can do LIMITED research or requests through mail or email. Requests can be submitted by contacting the Genealogy department via one of the contact methods listed below. 

Services

 

  • A public copier/printer is available; charge is $0.15 for black-and-white and $0.50 for color copies. 

  • Several microfilm machines are available for public use; copies are $0.50 per page.  Assistance is available in using these machines.

  • Genealogy staff will also do LIMITED genealogical research and provide information by mail, as described above.

Contact the Genealogy Department

 

New Castle Public Library

c/o Genealogy Department
207 E. North St.
New Castle, PA 16101

 

Phone: 724-658-6659 ext. 112
Fax: 724-658-9012
Email: genealogy@ncdlc.org

 

We are aware that so many of you are visiting our page from all over the country and world! Thank you! If you would like to see us continue to offer great services, please consider making a monetary donation.  We appreciate your generosity.  Your donations are tax-deductible.

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Genealogy & Local History Databases

 

Marriage & Obituary Index

Marriages and Obituaries

The library maintains records of marriage and obituaries published in several New Castle newspapers from 1880 to the present day. If requesting a marriage announcement or obituary, please refer to our Marriage/Obituary Database below in order to locate the name of the newspaper and date of announcement. Please keep in mind that the more vital record (birth-marriage-death) details provided about the person you are searching for, the more likely we will be able to locate the correct individual.

https://marriage-obit-ncdlc.org/

Please note that dates are of the ANNOUNCEMENT, not necessarily the date of the marriage or death. Consult the actual announcement on microfilm for complete information.

Digital Collection of New Castle Directories

 

In conjunction with the Lawrence County Historical Society, we offer digitized versions of many early New Castle City Directories, which are available to view through Pennsylvania's Power Library's Photos and Documents. Please take the time to view and search them. They are hosted by the state's Power Library PA Photos and Documents website.

 

 

New Castle Public Library was awarded LSTA (Library Services and Technology) funding in the amount of $16,806 to digitize 29 New Castle city directories from 1872-1921. This project was made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor. The Friends of the Library contributed the amount needed to complete the project through the 1920s.

New Castle Area High School Yearbooks

Some copies of our high school yearbook collection have been digitized and are now available on the state's Power Library's PA Photos and Documents website.

Databases available only in the Library:

 

New Castle News Archives

 

Search the archives of the New Castle News from 2000 to present. You can browse today’s news or search for stories, obituaries, sports, columns, and more.

Ancestry Library Edition - AVAILABLE IN-LIBRARY ONLY

 

Ancestry Library Edition provides access to billions of historical documents, millions of historical photos, plus local narratives, oral histories, indexes and other resources in over 30,000 databases that span from the 1500s to the 2000s.

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Newspaper Archive AVAILABLE IN-LIBRARY ONLY

Search current and archived coverage of issues, events, people, government, sports and more with the largest collection of full-text U.S. newspapers. Find titles from across the US. Includes staff-written articles, obituaries, editorials, announcements, real estate, and other sections.

Newspapers.com - AVAILABLE IN-LIBRARY ONLY

 

At Newspapers.com it's easy and convenient to search or browse the collection to find news, notices of births, marriages and deaths, sports, comics and much more. Our high quality digital images and powerful viewer provide the best look at these historical papers and make it easy to print, save and share what you find. New Castle Public Library has access to Pennyslvania newspapers only.

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Genealogy & Local History Databases

 

Local Interest Links:

 

 

 

Useful Genealogy Links:

 

Billions of names across hundreds of collections- including birth, marriage, death, probate, land, military, IGI extracted, and more. 

A comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online.

A source for family history buffs to find genealogical research and popular genealogy articles. Start a search or browse below to start digging into your family's past!

Provides “daily updates on the newest genealogy sites and data online”.

Locate genealogical information by location.

With a mission to serve and grow the genealogical community by providing education and training, fostering increased quality and standards, and promoting access to and preservation of genealogical records.

Documents, records, and photographs, including veterans’ service records and teachers’ resources.

Connects people so that they can help each other and share genealogical research.

List of startup resources to begin your genealogy search (most of which we have in our History Room Collection).

 

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