Lookups & Other Services

Department Move Alert

Library Headquarters closed to the public on May 28th, 2022.  Learn more about the new Clark Family Branch construction project.

The History & Genealogy Department is temporarily relocated to the Daniel Boone Branch where staff will continue to assist researchers with their needs and any requests. 

Materials access is limited. Resources available at Daniel Boone include Missouri resources, Illinois resources for six metro area counties, St. Louis city directories and phone books, microfilms, and computer databases. Family Histories (929.2) and resources for Germanic Europe (943 A - 949.97 W) are located off-site and available upon request. Patrons may request these titles by sending an email to genealogy@slcl.org.  Item requests will be fulfilled on Wednesdays and Fridays. 

Lookups

History & Genealogy will be happy to look up and send copies of records found in indexed sources.

  • You must allow the department to complete a current request before submitting another.
  • Electronic scans will be returned by email at no charge.

Submit a Look Up Request

Staff will make photocopies of printed material only if the source is indexed or an exact citation is submitted. Designate a specific source. Examples of acceptable requests follow:

  • Check the book "Genealogical Abstracts Of Revolutionary War Pension Files" abstracted by Virgil D. White. Photocopy a listing for John Cessna.
  • Please photocopy the article entitled "Index to the Marriage Records of the First Congregational Church in New Orleans" Louisiana Genealogical Register, Vol. 21, October 1982.
  • Look in the index of "County of Christian, Kentucky" by William Henry Perrin. Please copy any reference in the index to the surname DeWitt.
  • Does St. Louis County Library have this particular book? (Provide the exact title.)
  • What is the address of the National Genealogical Society?
  • Does St. Louis County Library have this family history in your collection? (Provide the exact title.)

The following examples are unacceptable because they are not specific enough:

  • Find a cemetery listing for John Hinch.
  • Do any books on St. Louis mention Zoe Aubuchon?
  • When did John Durant die?

The library is obligated to follow U.S. copyright laws. Please review the library's copyright notice below.
 

Additional Guidelines

Newspaper Obituaries, Newspaper Articles and City Directories on Microfilm

  • Obituary sources include St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Globe-Democrat, St. Louis Republic, Star-Times and Westliche Post (German language). See the newspaper holdings list for date coverage.
  • Obituary requests must include a death date or exact citation.
  • Newspaper article requests must include an exact citation.
  • Limit of 3 searches per mailing.
  • City directories in paper format cannot be photocopied because of fragility.

The following newspapers indexes are available on the St. Louis County Library website:

An index to obituaries in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is available on the website of the St. Louis (City) Public Library.
 

Books

  • Limit of three searches per mailing.
  • The book must be indexed unless an exact citation is submitted.
     

Newsletters and Magazines (Quarterlies)

  • Limit of one request per mailing.
  • Limit of 30 pages copied from one source.
  • An entire quarterly or book cannot be copied.
  • No more than one article can be copied from a single issue.
  • Articles can also be obtained through interlibrary loan. Contact your local library.
     

Additional Research Assistance

Additional research help may be available from the St. Louis Genealogical Society. The society also maintains a list of researchers for hire. Contact the society directly:

St. Louis Genealogical Society
4 Sunnen Drive, Suite 140
St. Louis, MO 63143-3814
314-647-8547
office@stlgs.org
 

Copyright Notice

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One specified condition is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request or later uses a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. In addition, copyright law limits photocopies of journal material to one article per issue and book-length material to one section or chapter or a limit of 30 pages. Journal articles less than five years old are also more restricted than older material. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would violate the copyright law.
 

FamilySearch Affiliate Library Services

The History & Genealogy Department is an authorized FamilySearch affiliate library. Digitized FamilySearch images that are authorized for viewing in affiliate libraries can be accessed on public computers and over the wireless network at the Headquarters location.
 

Interlibrary Loans from the History & Genealogy Collection

Books in the National Genealogical Society Collection and select others are available to researchers at other libraries via interlibrary loan.

  • The St. Louis County Library catalog can be searched online.
  • Books that have call numbers beginning with "R" (R929.3) are reference and not available for interlibrary loans or checkout.
  • Books that have call numbers not beginning with "R" (i.e. 929.3 or Q 929.3) are available for interlibrary loans.
  • To borrow a book not available at your own local library, contact your local library's interlibrary loan department.
  • A limit of two books at a time per patron applies.
     

Tours

Tours of the History & Genealogy Department are conducted on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. No advance notice is required for individuals, but groups of 10 or more are encouraged to contact the department ahead of time. Special group tours are gladly arranged. Please call 314-994-3300, ext. 2070 or send an email to genealogy@slcl.org for more information and to schedule a special tour.