Genealogy @ Flint Public Library

QUICK LINKS TO INFORMATION:

Genealogy Web Sites & Online Resources Page
Genealogy Research FAQ
Our Genealogy Collection
Obituary Research Request ($ Fee-Based)

Genealogy Research FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

If I visit the library, can I get help with my research?
The Flint Genealogical Society provides volunteers to assist patrons in their genealogical searches. Please call ahead to be sure a volunteer will be available to help you. Librarians are able to provide limited, general genealogical search assistance.

If I live too far to visit, what can your staff do to help? Is there a fee?
Due to staffing limitations, the Library does not do genealogical research; we can provide you with a list of researchers who provide that service for a fee.

How do I get a copy of an obituary?
Visit the library and our staff will help you look up and print your obituary. If you would like our staff to locate and print an obituary, there is a fee for this service. Link here to a page with details and a printable Obituary Research Request form.

Our Genealogy Collection*

The Flint Public Library is home to the second largest open stack genealogical collection in Michigan. The collection started with a gift from the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1905 and focuses on New England, New York, Michigan (in particular, Genesee County) and the Province of Ontario.

The collection includes a large number of Michigan county histories and Michigan cemetery readings. The Library has copies of all filmed Michigan Census returns as well as many for New York, the New England States, Missouri, Arkansas and the Province of Ontario, Canada.

The Library is also home to one of the largest open access collection of materials on Genesee County, collecting local school yearbooks, directories for the City of Flint and Genesee County, local publications, histories of local churches and Synagogues, city and village histories.

*NOTE: This collection is NOT online! You must visit the library to use it, or see the Genealogy Research Frequently Asked Questions, above, for how to request obituary research for a fee.

You can use the Flint Public Library Online Catalog to search for books related to genealogy and local history in our collection either within the library or from home. Try a keyword search using terms such as "city directory" or "census." CATALOG KEYWORD SEARCH PAGE.