Welcome! The Genealogical Resources research guide is a starting point for local history and genealogical research, starting with information within Shepherd Library's collection. Many items within Shepherd's resources for local history include materials in either the library's Special Collections or the Shepherd University Archives. Please make an appointment with the Archives and Special Collections Librarian in order to view or use these materials.
Listed below are either online subscription databases or online websites for genealogical research.
Sanborn Maps: fire insurance maps for US cities over time. This resource is available at Shepherd University. Off-campus access is limited to Shepherd students, faculty and staff.
WVGeoExplorer Project: mainly provides digitized maps of state and local interest
Ancestry.com Library Edition (visit the Martinsburg Berkeley County Public Library or its branch libraries to use this service for free. They also have an extensive list of historical databases which patrons can search.)
NARA: National Archives and Records Administration
Rootsweb: free genealogical website; part of the Ancestry.com community
FamiliySearch West Virginia Collection
West Virginia Vital Research Records Search : births, marriages, deaths
The library uses the Library of Congress Classification scheme to arrange and classify most materials that check out. For the purposes of genealogists and local researchers' needs, there are three major subject areas (and call numbers) that pertain most to materials here. They are
CS 71 : Covers general genealogy; general family histories and research
F 247-249 : West Virginia History
Hours for the Archive & Special Collections Reading Room are as follows:
Fall & Spring Semester
By appointment only
Summer and Intersessions
By appointment only
Contact Information
Phone: (304) 876-5417
Email: fmarshal@shepherd.edu
