Connecticut has its share of libraries devoted to Connecticut history. What makes the History and Genealogy Unit (H & G) of the State Library different is its owner. the citizens of Connecticut. H & G’s mission and its duty to Connecticut citizens is "to preserve and make accessible the records of Connecticut's history and heritage." Any citizen wishing to research this history and heritage can do no better than to start at the reference desk of H & G in the State Library building in Hartford.
Taxpayers should not fear that the State of Connecticut has wasted money in providing spacious parking and luxurious facilities for those visiting H & G. Parking is limited and the basement location is Spartan at best. Nevertheless, visitors to H & G find a wealth of primary and secondary material and a staff of nine ready to assist with inquires.
When asked who these visitors usually are, Richard Roberts, the director of H & G, lists the usual suspects, high school and college students, genealogists, and historians. More surprising are the frequent visits from environmental scientists and surveyors, and this gives a clue to why H & G is so unique. Unusual collections are usual here. The aerial photograph collection, starting with photos from 1934, provides valuable information to homeowners, surveyors and environmental scientists and is only available at H & G. Other unusual collections include coroner’s reports from the late 1800s, railroad commissioner’s reports, divorce records into the 1960s, broadsides, coats of arms, and large collections of pictorial archives (including advertising and business cards, artwork (1875-1942), bookplates (1770-1935), government photographs, postcards (1890-1930), travel posters (1920-1969), and World War I and II posters..
H & G can provide this variety of source material partly because it provides reference services and access to the Connecticut State Archives. In fact, several times in the past, Archives has been folded into H & G in the State Library’s organizational structure. Currently, though, the State Archives program is part of the Office of the Public Records Administrator and H & G now assists researchers in the use of Archives collections.
H & G has its origins in four separate State Library history projects. The first project, started in early 1900s, resulted in a file of vital records now known as the Barbour Collection. This collection includes most Connecticut vital records (births, marriages, and deaths) to about 1850. The second project, known as the Hale Collection, provided vital information from headstone inscriptions in over 2,000 Connecticut cemeteries. The third project involved the gathering of Connecticut probate records. The State Library holds most extant pre-1850 probate estate papers and, for much of the state, papers dated into the 1900s. And finally, the fourth project gathered church records. The State Library holds original or copies of the records of over 600 Connecticut churches, many of them dating back to the 17th century. These four State Library projects, all started as separate endeavors, eventually became the responsibility of a History and Genealogy department of the State Library.
H & G has become more than a convergence of records projects, however. It is very much a library with excellent collections of local histories and genealogies that cover Connecticut and much of the northeast. H & G actively develops these collections with new purchases. Other important published and non-published collections include city directories, historic newspapers, military records, census records, ship’s passenger lists, genealogical charts, historic manuscripts, and historic maps. Many of these materials exist in microfilm and do not require use of original copies. Original copies, when needed, are pulled daily from the Archives and used under supervision of H & G staff.
Richard Roberts and the H & G reference staff provide a gateway to the use of all these collections and researchers and genealogists are encouraged to visit and ask for assistance. If people cannot visit in person, H & G staff provide a limited amount of reference service via phone, mail, and e-mail. The staff also travel to libraries, schools, and historical societies to conduct outreach programs on Connecticut history and genealogy topics. Those wishing to start their research at home should first visit H & G’s web site (http://www.cslib.org/handg.htm) to find descriptions of collections and rules for use. The published works in H & G collections are searchable in the State Library’s online catalog, CONSULS http://csulib.ctstateu.edu/), and some books may be obtained through interlibrary loan. Other historic records are made available through iCONN (www.iconn.org), including census records on Heritage Quest. Some digital resources are available on-site to H & G patrons, including Ancestry Library Edition ( a genealogy database to complement Heritage Quest), and New England Ancestors (a database of New England genealogical resources).
Though digitization of historic records has been fueled mostly by an increasing demand for genealogical resources on the internet, H & G is actively pursuing opportunities to digitize other parts of their collections. In two separate projects, the State Library is digitizing both the 1934 aerial photograph collection and a census of historic Connecticut houses. This census took place as part of a WPA project in the 1930s and involved providing photographs and descriptions of historic homes in every town and city in Connecticut. The State Library is also contributing to Connecticut History Online (http://www.cthistoryonline.org/) and hopes to contribute Connecticut scenes, individuals, and cities photos as well as Matthew Brady photos, historic CT postcards, and two surveys from the World War I era that provide valuable source material for research on Connecticut immigrant and minority populations.
Recently, H & G staff have noted a decrease in activity with census microfilm after these records became available on the internet. Don’t expect all this digitization to reduce visitation to H & G, however. The digitization process is slow and costly, and further digitization of H & G collections may only increase interest in its other collections not yet digitized. So besides the importance of funding more digitization projects, Connecticut taxpayers won’t be able to dodge that parking problem. And even Connecticut citizens who can’t visit H & G will be able to appreciate that the State of Connecticut is using some of its resources to preserve Connecticut history at the State Library.
History and Genealogy, Connecticut State Library
231 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
Tel: 860-757-6580, Fax: 860-757-6677
Monday through Friday: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., and Sat.: 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
An edited version of this article appeared previously in Connecticut Libraries.
