Start your search for ancestors at the Genealogical Forum of Oregon library—with more than 22,000 volumes and thousands of reels of microfilm, it's one of the largest genealogy collections on the West Coast. Holdings include records from all US states and several foreign countries, but focus on the Northwest region and states that were common starting points for Oregon Trail overlanders. If you're researching a pioneer, investigate the Early Oregon Settler Files on families who arrived in Oregon prior to 1900, and the Oregon and Washington Donation Land Claim Abstracts, plus a complete set of the Oregon Donation Land Claim files on microfilm. You'll also find indexes to Oregon marriages (1855-1975), deaths (1903-1998) and divorces (1971-1998), as well as original Multnomah County marriage certificates (1855-1921); all Oregon census records and indexes; Portland (1881-1985) and other Oregon city directories; records on Oregon Civil War veterans; Library Association of Portland Newspaper Index (about 1920-1987); county histories and cemetery books. Strong collections include an extensive CD-ROM collection, published passenger lists and the Daughters of the American Revolution collection. A free shuttle will operate between the Convention Center and the Forum Library beginning at 5:45 p.m. May 15 and 16 and the visitor fee will be waived during the NGS conference. For library hours and other information (including quite a bit about the conference), call (503) 963-1932 or visit www.gfo.org.

The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) Library is another treasure trove of genealogical information. Search for pioneer ancestors in the Pioneer Index of recollections gathered during reunions of pioneers' descendants, or in the Overland Journals of pioneer letters and diaries. The Biographical Index (1840-1920) lists names that appear in Portland and Salem newspaper articles, scrapbooks and county histories. Almost all the sources cited are at the OHS library. A Manuscript Materials file contains letters, diaries, business papers and architectural drawings. Vital records indexes include Portland births (1864-1917), marriages (1906-1924 and 1946-1999), Oregon deaths (1903-1999), Portland deaths (1881-1925), Portland death certificates (1881-1917) and divorces (1946-1999). The library also holds some Native American records kept by federal agencies; cemetery records; federal and state census records on microfilm and in print (including transcriptions for 1860-1900); Grand Army of the Republic applications for headstones; Oregon Donation Land Claims; Catholic Church records; indexes to Catholic mission records spanning the second half of the 19th century; local and regional city directories; and Indian Wars pension papers of veterans of 1847 and 1855 wars with local Native American tribes. You can search for news of your ancestors in the 16,000 rolls of microfilmed newspapers from 100 Oregon cities (1846-present) and 600 rolls from Washington, California, Idaho, Missouri and Hawaii (mostly 19-century titles). Located in the same building as the Oregon History Museum (see page 52), the library is open Wednesday through Saturday 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (Thursday until 8 p.m.). The $6 visitors fee includes museum admission. Call (503) 306-5240 or visit www.ohs.org.

The Multnomah County Library's beautiful main branch in downtown Portland is a feast for the eyes as well as the genealogical appetite. Holdings include Portland newspaper indexes; Portland and other Oregon city directories; historical telephone directories; census records through 1920; the American Genealogical Biographical Index; and indexes to Oregon deaths (1903-1996), Oregon marriages (1906-1924 and 1946-1996), Oregon divorces (1946-1996), Multnomah County marriage licenses (1855-1944) and Portland births (1881-1917). Visit www.multnomah.lib.or.us/lib/ref/gene.html for more on the library's genealogy resources or stop by during the conference Sunday 1-5 p.m, Monday through Thursday 9 a.m.-9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. For information, call (503) 988-5123.

For copies of original birth, marriage and death certificates, order in person, by telephone, fax or online from the Oregon Center for Health Statistics, located in Portland. Birth and death records begin in 1903, marriage records in 1906 and divorce certificates in 1925. Access to birth records less than 100 years old is restricted, as are death certificates and marriage records less than 50 years old; contact the State Registrar, (503) 731-4108. The office is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Call (503) 731-4109 or visit www.ohd.hr.state.or.us.

The Oregon State Archives are an hour's drive south to Salem, but it's worth the trip. (The conference offers a May 15 bus tour to the archives and the state library.) It's the place to go for provisional and territorial records dating from the earliest government in Oregon (1841). County records include maps, government information and court and land records. Check the Web site first arcweb.sos.state.or.us for some of the most-used records, including a searchable index to Portland births (1881-1899), a provisional and territorial records guide and a Genealogical Information Locator with more than 180,000 entries compiled from archives records. The archives reference room is open 8 a.m.- 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call (503) 373-0701.