Find Your Story in the Library & Archives
The York County History Center’s Library & Archives houses an extensive and varied collection covering a wide range of topics, including genealogy and family history, local history and historic sites, community organizations, decorative arts, arts and entertainment, and military history. Our staff and trained volunteers are available to assist you in your research process. Please note that reservations are required to secure your space in the Library reading room. Please read the Guide to the Library & Archives before your visit and contact library staff if you have any questions.
First Time Visitor?
First time visitors should contact us before scheduling so that we can assist you with planning your visit. Please call Emma Streb at 717-848-1587 x214 or email estreb@yorkhistorycenter.org.
Because the archives house primarily rare and one-of-a-kind materials, using archival collections can be very different from using other libraries.
- Please check in at the front desk when you arrive.
- Lockers are available for bags, purses and other personal items. Your gracious cooperation will help us protect our collections for many, many generations to come.
- We allow pencils, papers, notebooks and folders. Cell phone photography of documents and books is also allowed.
- We encourage you to bring a personal laptop since there are a limited number of public computers available. Thumb drives are available for purchase. Outside thumb drives are not allowed.
- We recommend contacting us ahead of your visit so that we can pull your files in advance.
In the Reading Room
We offer extensive collections of family genealogies; books on local, state and regional history, with a focus on York County history; York City and County directories; York County high school yearbooks; historical atlases and maps; and local and regional periodicals and newsletters covering a wide range of topics. We annually host visitors from all 50 states across the country, as well as several other countries. Visitors receive assistance in using the collection from well-trained staff and volunteers.
All library users, whether members or not, have on-site access using a personal or library computer to the Library Edition of Ancestry.com. Included with this subscription Newspapers.com, Pennsylvania Edition and York County newspapers from our microfilm collection, as well as Fold3 (military records).
Interested in donating to the Library & Archives? Please click here.
Interested in Volunteering in the Library & Archives? Please click below.
Research Resources by topic
Plan your visit to our nationally recognized Library
Library & Community Partner Programs
The York County History Center partners with other local organizations to host and participate in unique and informative educational activities for adults.
The York County Writers’ Roundtable networks writers and researchers of York County and regional history. The group meets on the first Thursday of every quarter at 7:00 p.m. in person and on Zoom. This event is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there!
South Central Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, Inc. (SCPGS) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization of genealogists. As genealogists, they study ancestry and family history, and are interested in preserving family heritage for future generations. Their primary geographic area of interestand coverage is Pennsylvania’s York and Adams Counties. Their purpose is to encourage and promote an interest in genealogy by collecting and preserving materials related to genealogy, encouraging the compilation and publication of family genealogies and histories, publishing materials of interest and benefit to members, holding meetings for the education of members and the public, and offering financial and volunteer support to the library at the York County History Center.
Meetings held in-person and virtually on Zoom will begin at 2:30 p.m. on the first Sunday of every month unless otherwise noted.
Visit the SPGS Website
The York Civil War Round Table (YCWRT) is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote, interpret, preserve, and protect the Civil War heritage of York County, Pennsylvania, through the education and exchange of information with its members and the general public. Membership is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about the American Civil War.
Founded as the White Rose Civil War Round Table, the York CWRT holds monthly meetings the third Wednesday of every month except December at 7:00 p.m. in person and on Zoom. Each meeting features a guest speaker talking about a Civil War topic of local or national interest. Meetings are FREE and open to the public. For upcoming programs, please visit the event page.
Visit the YCWRT Website
ALLVETS is a non-profit organization, founded in 2015 by the late Jim Bean, a Vietnam veteran, to collect the stories of local veterans. Each month a different veteran from any branch of the military who served in any capacity shares his or her story about their service to our country.
The ALLVETS meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7:00pm. Occasionally, special round tables are held on Saturdays. Due to the holiday schedule, no programs are held in November or December. Meetings are FREE and open to the public. For more information, please visit ALLVETS.US or e-mail ALLVETS1York@gmail.com.
Share Your StoryLibrary & Archives News
The York County History Center is now a FamilySearch affiliate research center
This agreement allows members and visitors to the Library & Archives greater access to genealogy resources on the FamilySearch.org website. For more information, please visit this website.
African American Collections
There is a new regularly-updated guide to African American collections at the History Center on this website.