Local History & Genealogy
From books, to maps, and everything in between, you can find a variety of digitized materials from our local history collection. Partial funding for digitization was made possible through a grant from the Park Foundation to encourage sustainability through remote access of library materials.
You can also access HeritageQuest Online from our library computers to search census records, books, and documents for information about your ancestors. Want to search HeritageQuest from home? Log into your account, click on the Online Databases tab, and then select "Genealogy & Family Research" to see links for HeritageQuest and New York Heritage.
We can provide limited research on topics of local history or interest where the information sought is unique to the collection of the library. The Tompkins County Research Service is available to individuals and/or organizations for whom it is impossible to visit the library in person.
For additional resources, visit the following websites:
The History Center in Tompkins County
New York Heritage Digital Collections
Library of Congress New York State Guide
The Library of Congress web guide contains a variety of materials specifically relating to New York State, including manuscripts, documents, photos, books and maps. This site also provides links to websites such as:
The U.S. GenWeb Project
Genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States.
Cayuga Heights History Project
Upcoming Events
The Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic Tabling
DO YOU HAVE A FEDERAL INCOME TAX PROBLEM?
Has Your Tax Refund Been Withheld? Do You Owe the IRS Money? Are You Having Problems With the IRS?
Chinese Bilingual Storytime/中英双语故事会
Join us for a special Chinese-English bilingual storytime!
LGBTQ+ Youth Group
Join us at LGBTQ+ Youth Group to do crafts, play games, and socialize. Whether your lesbian, gay, bi, trans, questioning, or just trying to figure things out - we're here for you!
TCPL Community Engagement at GIAC
Tompkins County Public Library invites you to a focus group discussion on the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan and Library Use.
Makerspace Open Hours - PM Session
Join us for drop-in Open Hours! Registration is not required.
Makerspace One-on-One
What do you want to make?
Makerspace Open Hours
Drop-in open hours, no registration required. Come for a short tour, or stay and work on a project - we have lots of art supplies and ideas to get you making!
Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Family Concert Series
Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Family Concert Series
Get swept up in the magic created by great stories and live music as the CCO and Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) join forces for our annual Family Concert & Storytime Series, now in its eleventh season! We select a different childr