Local History & Genealogy

Send a written request with the person's name, date of death (month, day, year) or burial date and a self-addressed stamped envelope. 

• If the obituary can be found in our obituary files, the cost is $2.00 (to cover photocopying and mailing costs.) 
• If the obituary can not be found in our files or the date of death is before 1960, the microfilm can be searched at a cost of $10.00/hour (plus .25/photocopy.) 
• We reserve the right to limit the number of obituaries that can be searched and the amount of time spent on an obituary search. All fees must be paid before the research is started. 
• We will not fax or email obituary requests. Regular mail only.

Please note: This search is for out-of-area residents only.

Send requests to: 

Broome County Public Library
Local History & Genealogy Center
185 Court St.
Binghamton, NY 13901 

• Birth, death and marriage records can be obtained where the event took place (i.e. city/town/village clerk's office.)
• The New York State Vital Records Index can be found on Ancestry.com.
• Divorce decrees, mortgages, liens, naturalization papers, military discharges, civil & criminal actions can be found at the office of the Broome County Clerk.
• Wills are kept at the Surrogate Court at the Broome County Courthouse.
• Information on ordering genealogy records from New York State can be found here: http://www.health.state.ny.us/vital_records/genealogy.htm 

• The local newspapers are available on microfilm. Currently, there is no printer attached to the microfilm machines to allow for printing. The microfilm can not be borrowed.
• The microfilm is each page of the daily/weekly/monthly newspaper photographed and laid out exactly as it appeared on the day it was published.
• The local newspapers never indexed their stories, which means they can not be searched by topic. However, a website called, "Fultonhistory.com," has indexed many New York State newspapers, including the Binghamton Press/Evening Press.
• Those with a Broome County Public Library card can access the links to Newspapers.com on our website, under "Research."

For a list of Broome County newspapers, please see the Local Newspaper index under Collections and Materials on the Local History & Genealogy Center homepage. 

• The Broome County Public Library and the Broome County Historical Society charge $10.00/hour for research services.
• Obituaries found in the Obituary File are $2.00 (to cover photocopying and mailing costs.)
• All research fees must be paid ahead; we will not bill for services.
• We answer letters on a first-come, first-served basis.

The local historian, Roger Luther, is available for assistance at the Broome County Public Library's Local History Center Mon., Wed., Thurs., & Fri. 10am-12pm. 

He can be contacted by email at Roger.Luther@broomecountyny.gov. 

You can learn more about the Broome County Historical Society by visiting their page at: https://www.broomehistory.org/