Research Guide: Meigs County District Public Library (Pomeroy Location)

I have decided to blog about each library I visit for genealogy and local history research. This is the first in that series.

When doing genealogy, there is only so much information you can find online. Don’t get me wrong, there is a plethora of details available at the stroke of a key. But, sometimes you just have to get in the stacks to find what you are looking for. Saturday, I ventured to Pomeroy, Ohio to check out the genealogy section of the library there.

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In addition to the desk shown above, there is a large table available to layout a number of books to shuffle between. Although the genealogy section is not massive in size, it is rich in local history. Available is an extensive history on Meigs county lineage, history and local lure. There is a section on cemeteries, in the event you are trying to locate an ancestor. There are a handful of books with subjects outside of Meigs. I found the History of Mason County to be most useful.

There is a good inventory of local yearbooks. Some date back to the 1920s. I hope to go back when I have a little more time to explore the really old ones and to possibly scan some items for a blog on the local high schools.

The view from the little research desk really is quite remarkable. I am sure on a more sunny day when a person had more time to spare, it would be quite relaxing to research and watch the great Ohio River flow past.

There is a computer available for genealogy researchers. It includes quite the inventory of local digitized newspapers. Those will be of use for later research ideas that I have.

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The two young women working the front desk were not only helpful but also very pleasant to deal with. They gave me a little information on a knitting class I am considering which is held there on Tuesday evenings and Thursday mornings. In addition to knitting, there are family movie nights, acoustic sets and scores of activities for all ages and types of people. I decided to sign up for a library card. Even though I live in Mason County West Virginia, because of the close proximity, it is allowed. By signing up for the library card, I now have access to all of their online reference materials. The newspaper archives, the local history, family histories, etc.

As I made my way to leave, I took a stroll around the rest of the library. In the computer lab there were two young people playing an online game. I could hear them as I was researching Mason County. It was fun to listen to them engage the game.

This is a decent sized library, good selection of books (both in print and audio). I will end on this happy note, you can NOT go wrong if you offer the entire WKRP in Cincinnati sitcom on dvd.

In upcoming weeks I will make my way to the various Meigs County Library locations and I will share similar references to their genealogy sections.

Thank you for reading, I hope this information is useful.