Genealogy Season at NAPL

At this time of year we begin to get travelers from all over the country stopping in to use our resources to research their family histories. They are delighted when they find we have vital records from the beginning of Adams up through the earliest part of the 20th century for both Adams and North Adams, as well as city directories, annual reports, the North Adams Transcript from 1844 to the present, the Hoosac Valley News for its full run, and numerous indexes and other genealogical materials.

We're just setting up a computer in the Local History area dedicated to local history and family research, which will provide access to databases from the New England Historical and Genealogical Society (New England Ancestry), the Mormons / Latter Day Saints (FamilySearch), Ellis Island, Garden City and, beginning July 1, Ancestry.

If you are from the Northern Berkshires of Massachusetts, or have roots in this area, we would love to add a copy of your research to our collection, so that others may build on your work. Just bring it up to the Reference / Special Collections Department on the second floor of the library.

Last January we offered a series of classes on how to do your family research at various repositories in the Northern and Central Berkshires. We have an excellent relationship with other repositories in the county. Staff also will help individuals pursue their research. If you're interested, we'll be glad to offer more learning opportunities for seeking your ancestors. It's the second fastest growing hobby in the country!

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