The June P. Zintz Memorial Library of the Western New York Genealogical Society

Named for WNYGS founder June P. Zintz, the Society Library is located in the Grosvenor Room (Special Collections Department) of the Central Branch of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (Downtown -1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY 14203). [Click here to view the Library's current hours.]

The Western New York Genealogical Society maintains an expanding reference library that serves as a repository of genealogical information pertaining to Western New York and its early settlers. The primary focus is the eight counties of Western New York - specifically Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming. However, the collection also contains much information on New York State, New England, as well as other states and many foreign countries. The collection includes more than 3,000 books and 700 rolls of microfilm, family histories, periodicals, and card indexes.

As a reference library, collection materials are not circulated or removed from the premises. Books are arranged in a "modified" Dewey Decimal Classification system which is easily understood and usable. Items are catalogued by Author, Title and Subject.

07/22/2018: An updated version of the WNYGS catalog is now available.
The file featuring collection holdings can be viewed or downloaded in Microsoft Excel format (.xls).

Among the Society's library holdings are the following which complements the B&ECPL Grosvenor Collections:

ATLASES, GAZETTEERS, GUIDES & INDEXES
- Miscellaneous gazetteers, guides, and a few atlases
- Various genealogical indexes

DIRECTORIES & HISTORIES
- Buffalo City Directories from 1832 on
- Miscellaneous volumes of other town & city directories
- Many town & county histories

BIBLE, BIRTH, BAPTISM, CHURCH, MARRIAGE, BURIAL, CEMETERY & DEATH RECORDS
- Numerous published & unpublished manuscript records

VITAL INDEX OF EARLY WNY FAMILIES
- Card files of approximately 120,000 cards from 75 sources of Births, Deaths, & Marriages of early Western New York families

CENSUS RECORDS
- Printed Federal Census indexes 1790 - 1870
- 1790 - 1930 Federal census for the eight WNY counties
- All available 1855 - 1925 state censuses for the WNY counties
- Miscellaneous other special censuses

ANCESTOR CHARTS, BIOGRAPHIES, FAMILY HISTORIES & GENEALOGIES
- Notebooks of members' Ancestor Charts
- Numerous published & unpublished family histories

FOREIGN
- Germans to America, from 1840 complete to date
- Passenger & Immigration Lists Index, complete to date
- The Famine Immigrants, complete to date
- Numerous other foreign research aids

MILITARY RECORDS
- Numerous military research aids
- Microfilm of miscellaneous Revolutionary War Pension records

PERIODICALS
Click for more information on:
- "General" publications
- "Family" related publications
- "Foreign Country" related publications
- "United States" related publications

HOW TO BOOKS
- Numerous help books for various aspects of doing research

MICROFILM
- Census
- Church Records
- Cemetery Records
- Erie County Surrogate Records
- Miscellaneous Military Records
- Erie County Marriage Records
- Buffalo Birth Records

Please consult the JOURNAL for information on the latest Society and library acquisitions.

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Research Assistance:

Neither the library staff nor the Society is equipped to conduct research for patrons. The Society has knowledgeable volunteers on duty several times a week. You can call the Grosvenor Room to find out if a volunteer is scheduled to be on duty.

The WNYGS has neither the facilities nor personnel to handle individual genealogical questions. It is suggested that individuals seeking such assistance should consult outside researchers. While neither the B&ECPL nor WNYGS can specifically recommend any individuals, The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library does maintains a list of known researchers for hire.

Library Policies and Duplication:

A photocopy machine and reader-printers for microfilm copies are located in the department. Please note library policy states there is a time limit on reader-printer use if other people are waiting.

Last updated: Monday, December 1, 2014