Summit County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society

Meeting Information

Our monthly meetings will be hybrid, meeting both in-person at the Akron Main Library and online.  Information for meetings will be listed under the Events section.
 
The Summit County Library has revised their hours of operation, please check the website for the latest information.  Please check out the on-line resources on their website.  There are an assortment of databases for your use. 

Akron-Summit Library Special Collections Classes

The Akron Summit Public Library holds classes on Genealogy every other month. 
 
 
 
 

Ohio Genealogical Society Library

The Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS) Library is open free of charge to OGS members. Non-member visitors may utilize all materials in the library by paying a $5.00 per day fee. Ample parking is provided free of charge. All public areas of the building are handicapped accessible.

The Library is open Tuesday through Saturday 9:00 AM—5:00 PM. It is closed Sunday, Monday, Major Holidays, during the annual OGS Conference, and when Mansfield City Schools are closed for inclement weather.

The Stanley and Marjorie Meek Ellis Computer Room features 16 patron stations and an instructor’s monitor with access to the Office Professional Suite and many subscription databases. Free WiFi is available throughout the building.

OGS offers several choices of microfilm/microfiche readers and scanner/copiers. Patrons may make photocopies of books, manuscripts, and print from the computers for 20 cents per page for letter or legal sizes. Ledger size (11”x17”) copies are 40 cents per page. Color photocopies are $1.00 per page.

A lunchroom with refrigerator and microwave is available for patron use. Snacks and beverages may be purchased. Several restaurants are within a 5-minute drive.

 

Cyndi's List of Digitized Books

Cyndi's List has assembled a collection of more than 325,000 digitized genealogy and family history publications including family histories.   
www.cyndislist.com/books/ebooks/

Upcoming Events
February 21, 2026
10:30 am to 12:30 pm
FamilySearch - What a Wonderful Resource
We will spend the morning learning about FamilySearch, the website, as well as the wonderful resources available at our local FamilySearch Center at 106 E. ...

March 5, 2026
RootsTech 2026
  RootsTech 2026 early bird registration is open RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch, is the world's largest family history conference. It will be held March 5-7. ...

March 21, 2026
10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Software for Your Family Tree
Join us as various members will talk about the different softwares available to keep track of the data we find on our families.  The 3 main ...

April 18, 2026
10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Chronicling America - A Newspaper Site for Everyone
Join us as Dana Palmer, CG (R) CGL joins us via Zoom. Using online search engines can be tricky! Learn some techniques to find your elusive ...

April 29, 2026
2026 OGS Annual Conference: “Finding Genealogy Gems”
In-Person Sharonville Convention Center, 11355 Chester Road, Sharonville, OH 45246-4002 Speakers include: Kelli Bergheimer, Sunny Jane Morton, Karynne Moses, and Dana Palmer!   OHIO GENEALOGICAL ...
Facts and Tips
Soundex is a system of coding names for the census based on sound rather than alphabetical spelling. A variation called American Soundex was used in the 1930s for a retrospective analysis of the US censuses from 1890 through 1920.
[Census (US)]

A time line begins with your ancestor's birth and is filled in with various events in his life. Continue to fill this in as information becomes available to provide a picture of your ancestor's life. Several of the genealogy software programs assist you with this.
[Beginner Tips]

Begin with the latest census available and work backwards.
[Census (US)]