The mission of The Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS) is: Protecting and sharing Ohio’s family history resources, developing engaging educational opportunities, and connecting genealogists.

Instructions for the Submissions of Items to the Ohio Genealogical Society Library

Conditions of Acceptance

Gifts of books, journals, and other materials, especially those related to Ohio, will contribute to strengthening the collection of the Society. OGS will generally accept most paper-based records and certain computer-generated records. Please contact the Society and allow us the opportunity to review the list of materials to be donated. A “Deed of Gift” form may need to be submitted to transfer rights to any original manuscript materials, including copyright, to OGS. Any materials that are donated to, and accepted by OGS, become the property of OGS. OGS then holds the right to add them to its collection or handle the materials as it deems fit, such as selling or donating (to other entities) duplicate material or items not meeting its selection policies.

OGS will accept:

  1. Books – hardcover and paperbacks
  2. Periodicals – genealogy and history related
  3. Artifacts (buttons, coins, medals, pennants, posters) that are related to Ohio history and/or genealogy
  4. Bible records – photocopies of the title and family pages of any Bible for insertion in our indexed collection.
  5. Diaries and journals
  6. Manuscripts
  7. Family histories and related materials (i.e., obituaries, ancestor charts, ancestor cards, family group sheets)
  8. Digital photographs and computer generated electronic records
  9. Scrapbooks and photo albums (if most photos are identified)
  10. Photographs, paintings and sketches of Ohio people/buildings

Please read the following policies regarding manuscripts and material selection:

  1. Manuscript policy
  2. Materials selection policy
  3. Electronic records donation

For more information on Deed of Gifts and other donation information, OGS recommends visiting the Society of American Archivists (SAA) web site at: www.archivists.org Adopted July 25, 2009.

Deed of Gift form – PDF

OGS is a charitable 501(c)(3) institution and also accepts monetary donations and bequests.