Collections

Local History/Genealogy (LHG) is a research department specializing in the history of Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York State, the New England States, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Librarians and materials are available to help answer a wide range of information needs from family history and genealogy to in-depth research on people, places and events in the Syracuse area. The following is a brief overview of available resources in the LHG Department. We encourage you to visit and ask our librarians for assistance with these and our other materials.

When visiting LHG be sure to have a valid Onondaga County Public Library (OCPL) card.
Nonresident OCPL cards may be obtained at the Welcome Desk on the First Floor.

About the Collection:

All materials are kept in the Department's Compact Shelving are retrieved by LHG staff only. These include most printed materials on Syracuse and Onondaga County. 
Other materials are also kept in Compact Shelving because of their condition and/or uniqueness. 
Use of these materials requires a valid OCPL card and must be requested at the Information Desk.

Catalog

Search the OCPL Catalog

How to Search the OCPL Catalog for LHG Materials

Full Text Collections

Search and view thousands of books from our collection scanned and digitized by Family Search.

Databases

Subscription Based

One of a Kind Local History / Genealogy Databases

Finding Aids

Search and browse guides to the contents of Onondaga County Public Library's archival collections.

Images Collection

View hundreds of images documenting historic Syracuse and Onondaga County from the collections of the Onondaga County Public Library and other repositories across NY State.
OCPL Images @ New York Heritage

Additional Sources of Information

There are many additional places to get information in the LHG Department. Cemetery files, city directories, and more are available.
See Additional Sources of Information