Genealogy

Genealogy

Seymour Library Staff at the Mary Van Sickle Wait History Discovery Center at Seymour Library. Image features our Genealogy and Research assistant holding a book surrounded by our collection of historical periodicals and books.

The History Discovery Center offers a variety of materials to help you on your genealogical journey. Please keep in mind that you should come prepared on your visit. Have the names and dates (birthdays, weddings, and deaths) of the family that you are researching ready. Remember to ask staff for assistance with accessing materials.

What we offer

We have a collection of printed materials and genealogical resources for learning, as well as those containing family history information.

Ancestry

Ancestry is now available at the library! Stop into Seymour Library in person to access the databases from Ancestry.com! What is included? Ancestry Library provides access to a wide range of resources for genealogical and historical research. This includes all available records from the United States Census (1790-1940); military records; court, land, and probate records; vital and church records; directories; passenger lists, and more. 

Heritage Quest

We offer access to HeritageQuest, which is also accessible from home with a Seymour Library or other Finger Lakes Library System card.

Newspapers

While the History Discovery Center retains some bound newspapers, including the Auburn Bulletin (1877-78, 1903-1905), the Auburn Daily News and Bulletin (1880, 1882, & 1884), the Auburn Daily Advertiser/Advertiser Journal (1892, 1895-1931), and the Auburn Citizen (1918-1963), our vast newspaper collection (with papers dating back to the 1830s) is best viewed on our microfilm machine, our digital archive or fultonhistory.com.

Please note that: “Seymour Library’s Community History Archive (digital archive) is working towards a major upgrade to make it faster, more reliable, and even easier to use. The archives are in the process of migrating from a traditional data center environment into a best-in-class, cloud-based infrastructure. This means we can instantly scale to meet demand and keep things running smoothly.

The Community History Archive recognizes that there have been moments when the current system feels the strain of user demand while simultaneously moving a massive volume of historical data in the background. This can be frustrating, but these improvements will mean quicker searches, better stability, and a better experience for everyone who uses the archive. Thank you for your patience while they make these changes. We can’t wait for you to see the difference!”

Periodicals & Books

We carry many past and current issues of genealogical periodicals. Current holdings include The Register, The Record and in the library’s circulating collection: American Ancestors and Your Genealogy Today. We also offer several books on the topic of genealogy and researching your family tree, as well as books offering family history, such as the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, Italians to America, and Mayflower Families. Our print collection also includes the Auburn City Directories (1857 – present) and Auburn high school yearbooks.

Start your research from home

Cayuga County Historian
Family Search
Find a Grave
Mayflower History
Immigrant Ships
National Archives
USGenWeb
Ancestry.com New York

Discover more

We also offer programs throughout the year. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date with our offerings.