Genealogy

Genealogy room

No matter where you are in your family history search, the Stillwater Public Library has resources to help. The library's genealogy room is located in the southeast corner of the library. It has a digital microfilm reader and scanner that can be used to view, scan, or print from our vast collection of Payne County newspapers on microfilm. There is also a computer with two monitors for easy viewing of records. Most of the items in the library's genealogy collection cannot be checked out (except some basic guides). It consists of the following:

  • Over 1,500 books covering various states, countries, local and military records 
  • Oklahoma Census records from 1890 to 1930 on microfilm and online via the databases mentioned below
  • Microfilm of most of Payne County's newspapers from 1890 to present (Note: Even current newspapers are still archived using microfilm.)
  • Genealogy quarterlies and magazines
  • Local family histories and family charts

Genealogy Databases

The library has three databases to help you with your genealogy research. 

Database NameDescriptionIn-Library LinkRemote LinkLog-in Info
Ancestry 
(Library Edition)		Searchable census, birth, death, and military recordsIn-LibraryNANA
Heritage QuestSearchable census, Revolutionary War, and Freedman's Bank recordsIn-LibraryRemoteLibrary card number
FamilySearch
(Affiliate Library)		Six billion searchable names and two billion images of historical genealogical recordsNANAUse shortcut of library desktop computers

Research Assistance

Need help getting started? One of the Adult Help Desk librarians is always happy to guide you to resources, show you how to use the microfilm reader, and give you a quick demonstration of how to use our databases. But, if you need some one-on-one help, or if you live out of the area and need someone to access our resources for you, we have some options:

  • A volunteer from the Payne County Genealogical Society is available every week on Tuesday mornings from 9:30-11:30 a.m. We recommend calling in advance to confirm availability, as there are weeks when they cannot come in. 
  • Library staff can conduct research for you. However any request that takes longer than 15 minutes falls under the library's Reference Research Policy, which does incur a fee. Anytime obituaries have to be accessed via microfilm they automatically fall under the policy. (Please note that in most cases, obituary lookups must be specific to Payne County, Oklahoma, for us to be able to assist you. Staff can guide you in finding the best organization to contact if your request is out of the county.)
  • The Payne County Genealogical Society meets in the library on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. They frequently hold free classes and workshops and are always looking for new members.

There are many useful links to help you with your research.