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10/1/2002
By Rick Crume
The top 10 public libraries' genealogy collections compared.
|
Books in Open Stacks |
Soundex Census Index |
US Federal Census Holdings |
Family Histories |
Microfiches |
Microfilms |
Online Catalog |
Periodicals |
Books |
Library |
|
Complete |
1790-1930: complete |
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY |
49.813 |
291,259 |
26,000 volumes |
2% |
201,398 |
100% of books and periodicals, 0% of microforms |
104,266 |
|
26,800 |
BIRMINGHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY |
Partial (primarily Southern states) |
1790-1840: complete, 1850-1910: primarily Southern states, 1920-1930: partial |
79.420 |
11,500 |
95% |
2,121 |
72,300 volumes |
100% coverage |
|
69,500 |
1880-1920: complete |
1790-1920: complete, 1930: partial, plus 1850-1860 slave schedules,
1850-1860 mortality schedules, 1850-1880 and 1890 veterans census |
100% |
More than 15,000 |
CLAYTON LIBRARY CENTER FOR GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH |
95% of books, about 50% of periodicals, see Web site for microform, periodical, CD-ROM and map holdings |
2,556 titles |
71,520 book and periodical volumes |
31,500 microfiches, 6,500 microcards |
|
95% |
52,000 |
Unknown |
80,000 |
1880: complete, 1900-1930: partial |
More than 700 titles |
90,000 book and periodical volumes |
Online library catalog covers 100% of books, but few other items. |
DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY(Genealogy Section only; not including Texas/ Dallas History and Archives Division) |
1790-1930: complete |
|
Counted with book volumes |
Counted with microfilms |
85,000 microfilms, microfiches and microcards |
60,000 |
DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY (Genealogy Collection only; not including Western History Collection) |
98% |
7,500 |
All open, except rare and valuable books |
1880, 1900 and 1920: Colorado and New Mexico |
1790-1880: complete, 1900-1920: states west of the Mississippi River, 1930: Colorado and New Mexico |
|
6,000 volumes |
33% |
DETROIT PUBLIC LIBRARY |
50,000 |
65% coverage (only items added to the collection since 1991) |
45,000 |
1790-1930: complete |
1880-1920: Michigan and various other states |
400,000 (includes some that are not strictly genealogical) |
8,000 |
|
1790-1900 and 1920: complete, 1910 and 1930: partial on microfilm, plus online access to the complete census |
Unknown |
LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY |
70% |
1880, 1900 and 1920: complete, 1910 and 1930: partial |
Unknown |
45,000 |
More than 10,000 |
More than 600 titles |
100% (but not pamphlets and manuscripts) |
|
22,000 |
MID-CONTINENT PUBLIC LIBRARY |
100% |
Complete |
45,000 |
1790-1930: complete |
1,200 titles |
250,000 |
90% coverage |
60,000, plus 7,000 in the circulating collection |
|
Counted with book volumes |
Unknown |
1790-1810: complete, 1820-1930: New York and some for Connecticut, New
Jersey and Puerto Rico on microfilm, plus online access to the complete
census |
Unknown |
All relevant Soundexes |
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY |
100% coverage of books and 90% coverage of periodicals |
300,000 book and periodical volumes |
About 1% |
45,000 |
|
1790-1920: complete, 1930: partial |
More than 12,000 |
1,500 titles |
1880-1920: complete, 1930: partial |
More than 100,000 |
50,000 |
PUBLIC LIBRARY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY |
33% |
100 coverage |
250,000 |
|
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