New York State Library

E-Mail Reference Requests

The New York State Library provides e-mail reference services. Staff answering e-mail questions will provide you with:

The Library cannot conduct genealogical searches. Please consult the Library's genealogy page for family history suggestions.

Questions that do not pertain specifically to the State Library's collections should be addressed to your local library.

E-mail questions may only be retrieved once a day, and cannot always be acted on immediately. If you need a more immediate response to your question, you may want to contact your local library or call our reference desk at (518) 474-5355 during Library hours.

To submit a reference question by e-mail, please use the form below. Make sure you include a complete e-mail address; otherwise, we will not be able to respond to your question.

  1. Name:

    E-mail address:
    Phone (optional):
    Please include area code.

  2. Where are you writing from?
    City:
    State (or country, if outside U.S.):
  3. Subject of your request:

  4. Describe what you wish to know, as completely and specifically as possible:

    If you are a student, please indicate grade level:
    Elementary /Middle School       High School       College

  5. So that we don't duplicate your efforts or provide you with information you already have, please list any sources, on the Internet or off, that you have already consulted.