Local History & Genealogy
About the Collection
The Local History and Genealogy collection is located in the Marcia Wiswall Lindberg Room on the first floor of the building. The room is open to the public whenever the Library is open, and volunteers are usually available on Wednesday mornings from 10:00 a.m. until noon. We suggest calling the Library at 781.334.5411 to make sure a volunteer will be available to help you.
The materials in this collection do not circulate but may be taken out of the Local History and Genealogy Room and used in the Reading Room. All of the materials for this collection are cataloged and searchable in our online catalog.
Additional Tools for Researching
Ancestry.com : Free access within the library
Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet
Essex County Registry of Deeds
Family Search : Free access within the library
New England Historic Genealogical Society : Free access within the Library.
Magazines/Periodicals
The following Magazines/Periodicals are available in the Marcia Wiswall Lindberg Room to use in the library only.
- American Genealogist (1932-2013)
- Berkshire Genealogist (1989-1999)
- Cape Cod Genealogical Bulletin (1993-2013)
- Connecticut Nutmegger (1977-2008)
- Down East Ancestry (1977-1992)
- The Essex Genealogist, TEG (1981-2013)
- The Genealogist (1999-2004)
- Generations (1982-2007)
- Historical Collections of the Essex Institute (1859-1883)
- Maine Genealogist (1986-2012)
- Mayflower Descendant (1985-2010)
- Mayflower Quarterly (1988-2013)
- New England Ancestors/American Ancestors (2000-2009/2010-2013)
- New England Historical and Genealogical Register (1847-2013)
- New Hampshire Genealogical Record (incomplete, July 1990-2012)
- Nexus (1984-1999)
- Nova Scotia Genealogist (1983-2012)
- Putnam’s Genealogical Quarterly (July 1890-?; 9 volumes in 4)
- Rhode Island Genealogical Register (1978-1987)
- Rhode Island Roots (1975-1994)
- Second Boat (1980-1998)
- Vermont Genealogy (1973-2012)
- York County Genealogical Society (1986-1993)
Digital Collections
Lynnfield Oral Histories and Digital Heritage Collection: Access Lynnfield Oral Histories, and the Digital Heritage Collection.
Internet Archive – Lynnfield Public Library Collection: Access Lynnfield Oral Histories and the Digital Heritage Collection directly in the Internet Archive
Essex Society of Genealogists (ESOG)
Organized in 1975 as a chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, ESOG became an independent society in 1981. ESOG is home based in the Local History and Genealogy Room of the Lynnfield Public Library and available most Wednesdays 9 am to 5 pm to assist with projects. Please call 781-334-5411 to check their availability.
Family Search Affiliate Library
The Lynnfield Public Library became a Family Search Affiliate Library in May 2023! This means we now have in-library access to more genealogy resources to help the Lynnfield community make more family discoveries. FamilySearch is a world leader in family history. There are only a few hundred affiliate libraries in the country. The designation means local library patrons will now have greater and more convenient access to the wealth of genealogical resources available through FamilySearch. The popular web service has over 6 billion searchable names and 2 billion images of historical genealogical records. FamilySearch adds over 300 million free genealogical records and images online yearly from all over the world and manages the famous FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. It has amassed billions of birth, marriage, death, census, land and court records from more than 130 countries to help you discover and make family connections.
Patrons will still need to make accounts on the Family Search website. Please visit the Reference Desk for assistance.
Need more help?
Visit or email the Reference Desk for more information or help with specific questions. For in-depth genealogy help, the Essex Society of Genealogists are able to assist on most Wednesdays. Please call 781-334-5411 to check their availability.