The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) was founded in 1869 and is the most authoritative source for research on New York families and families with New York connections. A membership organization that assists people to advance their own research in a rapidly changing field, the NYG&B focuses on three areas of endeavor.
Publications: It publishes two essential quarterlies, The Record, a peer-reviewed scholarly journal of great distinction, in continuous publication since 1870, and the New York Researcher, which features instructive articles on genealogical research techniques and resources. Long a publisher of books, the NYG&B’s monumental, 856-page New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer is the first and only comprehensive guide of its kind. Released in January 2015 it is already in its second printing.
Educational Programming: The NYG&B sponsors lectures on New York topics at its own headquarters, at the New York Public Library, and at national conferences; it is the co-founder of the New York State Family History Conference, which presents nationally known speakers and attracts an audience of 600 participants from across the United States and Canada; it leads guided research tours of repositories in the greater New York City area and Albany; and it maintains an integrated calendar of programs offered through the New York Family History School, a consortium of organizations in New York’s genealogical community.
Online Resources: NYG&B members have remote access to the NYG&B eLibrary collections, hosted by findmypast.com, including the full run of The Record and the New York Researcher and other digitized NYG&B collections. The NYG&B website, NewYorkFamilyHistory.org offers members other exclusive resources, including recorded programs. The NYG&B’s blog, NewYorkFamilyHistory.wordpress.com, gathers timely news items, program announcements, and New York research tips.