Welcome to the Plainfield Public Library genealogy page, where people doing research on their families have the opportunity to work with resources that cover the entire world!
In addition to how-to guides and Reference Department staples on the main floor of the library, the Local History Department’s genealogy collection offers many specialized resources to family historians:
Genealogical Journals and Periodicals. The Local History department holds an extensive collection of genealogical journals and periodicals, as well as the historical newspaper collection.
The collection includes coverage of New Jersey, New York, and New England as well as stretches of Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Reference Books and Family Histories. Also found in the Local History Room are a variety of reference titles such as New Jersey Marriage Records, 1665-1800 and Abstracts of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots and more narrowly-focused family histories (all are accessible through the library catalog). Click HERE for the currently available personal papers and manuscripts.
Surname File List. Surname files have been created by staff of the Plainfield Public Library when research is performed for patrons. These files may contain only a single obituary but may be worth consulting by researchers interested in that surname. Contact the Local History department to learn the extent of the documentation associated with particular surnames. We also welcome donations of any additional information on Plainfield area families that can be added to the files through your own family research. Thank you for your patronage. View the current list HERE.
Courier News Obituary Index is an alphabetical collection by surname of obituaries and articles from the Courier News that were clipped and indexed by the Courier News staff. Donated to Plainfield Public Library in 2009, the Library is indexing and putting online this list of clippings and articles. The list will be updated as it is processed and indexed by the local history staff.
View the current list HERE.
Plainfield Resources. For those researching families that lived specifically in the Plainfield area, additional resources are outlined on the Local History Department web page.
Online Databases. The Plainfield Public Library also offers online subscriptions to:
