Genealogy
Library Subscription Databases
Local Historic Newspapers
The library provides access to local historic newspaper databases such as The American Hebrew and Jewish Messenger, Brooklyn Newsstand, New York State Historic Newspapers, The New York Times, Newsday, Suffolk’s Historical Newspapers, The Wall Street Journal, and more!
Yearbooks
Access Islip High School yearbooks dating back to 1940. Recent yearbooks are not available online but are available at the Islip Public Library in the Local History Room.
Getting Started / Research
Cyndi’s List of Genealogical Sites on the Internet
A starting point directory of worldwide genealogical resources on the Internet
Family Search
The largest genealogy organization in the world operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Family Search maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family history.
Long Island Genealogy
Long Island Genealogy was created in 1993 to provide a means for Long Island family history researchers to share, exchange and connect with fellow researchers.
Livebrary Topic Guide: Genealogy
A genealogy resource guide developed by the Suffolk County Cooperative Library System. Includes information on getting started and accessing resources for varying genealogical records.
New York State Archives: Genealogy Resources
A directory of what records are on file and how to access records. NYSA provides access to more than 250 million documents, telling the story of New York from the seventeenth century to present day.
National Archives for Genealogists
Provides researchers with an understanding of how their ancestors interacted with the federal government. Includes census, military, immigration, naturalization and land records.
Vital Records & Cemetery
Ancestry.com
Provides access to over 11 billion records online, including census, immigration, military, vital records, and a variety of other resources.
Family Search
The largest genealogy organization in the world operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Family Search maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family history.
German Genealogy Group
This group provides indexes to New York City vital and naturalization records online. Indexes also include some New York Metropolitan church records.
Italian Genealogy Group
This group provides indexes to New York City vital and naturalization records online.
My Heritage
Search records from around the world including birth, marriage, death, military, census, and parish records.
New York City Birth Certificates
The Department of Health maintains records of birth reported after 1909.
New York City Death Certificates
The Department of Health maintains records of death reported after 1948.
New York City Marriage Licenses
The Office of the County Clerk maintains records of marriages reported after 1930.
New York City Municipal Archives
Maintains records of births reported prior to 1910; deaths reported prior to 1949; and marriages reported prior to 1930.
New York State Vital Records
NYS Department of Health maintains records for births, deaths, and marriages issued in New York State outside New York City. Also on file are divorce records for all of New York State since 1963.
Where to Write for Vital Records
A directory to obtain birth, death, marriage, and divorce records for each U.S. State.
Billion Graves
Searchable database of cemeteries around the world. Provides date of birth, death and burial location. Contributors post photos, memories, and transcriptions of head stones.
Find-A-Grave
Searchable database of cemeteries around the world. Provides date of birth, death and burial location. Contributors post photos, memories, and transcriptions of head stones.
Interment
Searchable database of cemeteries around the world. Provides date of birth, death and burial location.
Census Records
Ancestry.com
Provides access to over 11 billion records online, including census, immigration, military, vital records, and a variety of other resources.
Family Search
The largest genealogy organization in the world operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Family Search maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family history.
Heritage Quest
Search census, family and local history books, wills and probates, city directories, military, and immigrant records. Find your African American ancestors in the Freedman’s Bank Records (1865-1874).
National Archives Census Records
Provides researchers with an understanding of how their ancestors interacted with the federal government. Includes census, military, immigration, naturalization and land records.
My Heritage
Search records from around the world including birth, marriage, death, military, census, and parish records.
Immigration / Naturalization
Ancestry.com
Provides access to over 11 billion records online, including census, immigration, military, vital records, and a variety of other resources.
Castle Garden
This collection combines surviving passenger lists for those who arrived during the Castle Garden era with previous New York arrivals from 1820 through 1891 and federal records kept before Ellis Island opened.
Ellis Island
Search 22 million indexed records of immigrants, passengers and crew members who arrives from 1892 to 1924.
Post Ellis Island
These passenger lists include nearly 29 million indexed names of international arrivals in New York Harbor and at New York airports from 1925 to 1957.
Family Search
The largest genealogy organization in the world operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Family Search maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family history.
German Genealogy Group
This group provides indexes to New York City vital and naturalization records online. Indexes also include some New York Metropolitan church records.
Heritage Quest
Search census, family and local history books, wills and probates, city directories, military, and immigrant records. Find your African American ancestors in the Freedman’s Bank Records (1865-1874).
Immigrant Ship Transcribers Guild
17,000+ Passenger manifests in 17 Volumes plus numerous other passengers listed in Special Projects.
Italian Genealogy Group
This group provides indexes to New York City vital and naturalization records online.
National Archives Immigration Records
Provides researchers with an understanding of how their ancestors interacted with the federal government. Includes census, military, immigration, naturalization and land records.
National Archives Naturalization Records
Provides researchers with an understanding of how their ancestors interacted with the federal government. Includes census, military, immigration, naturalization and land records.
New York City Naturalization Records & Index
Links to available online indexes for New York City.
New York State Archives: Naturalization Records
A directory of what records are on file and how to access records. NYSA provides access to more than 250 million documents, telling the story of New York from the seventeenth century to present day.
New York State Naturalization Records & Index
Links to available online indexes, arranged alphabetically by county.
One-Step Webpages by Stephen P. Morse
This site contains tools for finding immigration records, census records, vital records, and for dealing with calendars, maps, foreign alphabets, and numerous other applications. Some of these tools fetch data from other websites but do so in more versatile ways than the search tools provided on those websites.
Military Records
Ancestry.com
Provides access to over 11 billion records online, including census, immigration, military, vital records, and a variety of other resources.
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Genealogical Research System is a collection of databases that provide access to the many materials amassed by the DAR since its founding in 1890. Search for your Revolutionary Era ancestors using their ancestor database.
Family Search
The largest genealogy organization in the world operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Family Search maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family history.
Fold3
Access to American, British, and other international military records including stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.
National Archives Military Records
Provides researchers with an understanding of how their ancestors interacted with the federal government. Includes census, military, immigration, naturalization and land records.
National Parks Service – Civil War Soldiers & Saeilors
A database containing information about the men who served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War.
Local Organizations & Resources
Genealogy Federation of Long Island
The Federation is comprised of thirteen local genealogy organizations. Many of the organizations were formed to assist researchers in tracing specific ethnic or geographic origins, while others help their members with general family history research and the use of computers in genealogy. The Federation presents genealogy programs at local public libraries and publishes a monthly calendar to inform the public about the specific details of each of these meetings.
German Genealogy Group
This group provides indexes to New York City vital and naturalization records online. Indexes also include some New York Metropolitan church records. Check with this organization for sponsored events and seminars.
Irish Family History Forum
The Forum’s John Rowane Memorial Library is housed at the LDS Family History Center in Plainview, NY. The library materials include over 500 items including: books, journals, newsletters, audio and video tapes, CDs, pamphlets, reference materials, etc. of general and Irish-related genealogical significance. Check with this organization for sponsored events and seminars.
Italian Genealogy Group
This group provides indexes to New York City vital and naturalization records online. Check with this organization for sponsored events and seminars.
Jewish Genealogical Society of Long Island
JGSLI has an extensive collection of books, periodicals and other resources at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Library. Check with this organization for sponsored events and seminars.
Long Island Genealogy
Long Island Genealogy was created in 1993 to provide a means for Long Island family history researchers to share, exchange and connect with fellow researchers.
Local Historic Newspapers
The library provides access to local historic newspaper databases such as The American Hebrew and Jewish Messenger, Brooklyn Newsstand, New York State Historic Newspapers, The New York Times, Newsday, Suffolk’s Historical Newspapers, The Wall Street Journal, and more!
Yearbooks
Access Islip High School yearbooks dating back to 1940. Recent yearbooks are not available online but are available at the Islip Public Library in the Local History Room.
Forms & Charts
Genealogy charts & forms are available online for printing to help keep your research organized.