A day at the OGS Library

Yesterday I visited the Ohio Genealogical Society's new library in Bellville. One of my husband’s cousins had contacted me about a branch of his family that I haven’t researched yet. I thought the OGS library might be a good place to start looking for the family of Jonathan Crites, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The library, which opened in July, is beautiful—spacious, inviting, and designed with patrons in mind. Even on a gray November day, the main room was filled with natural light. Long tables beckoned me to spread my materials out. In its former building, the various OGS collections were crammed into every nook and cranny. Now the stacks are neatly organized for browsing. Vertical cabinets housing family files, ancestor charts, and Bible records are easy to access. Classic wooden card files hold special collections. Computers and microfilm readers fill an entire room. And it’s all about genealogy! (sigh)

I started by checking the unpublished materials, because these can’t be found anywhere else. I copied a pedigree chart that might prove to be a collateral line. Next I looked through the county resources for published marriage and death records for Ashland and Licking counties, and picked up a pretty good lead. There wasn't a Crites family history book. If I had been farther along in my research, I could have checked city and rural directories, maps, yearbooks, or periodicals.

The Ohio Genealogical Society Library is located off I-71 at the Rt. 97 exit, about mid-way between Columbus and Cleveland. Non-members are welcome for a nominal daily fee. It makes a pleasant and productive base for Ohio research.


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