Frequently Asked Questions
You may contact the library via email, regular mail service or phone, for a variety of general reference questions.
Email: Archives@ucmail.uc.edu
Address: Archives & Rare Books Library, University of Cincinnati, PO Box 210113, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0113
Phone: 513-556-1959
Minutes from 2005 to the present are available on the UC Board of Trustees Minutes page. There are two documents for each meeting: "Summary of Actions" and "Minutes." The Summary of Actions is available shortly after each Board meeting. Complete Minutes are not available until after approval at the next meeting of the Board.
Minutes prior to 2005 are available in the Archives and Rare Books Library. Please call 513-556-1959 or email archives@ucmail.uc.edu to make an appointment to view the records.
Yes. Please call 513-556-1959 or email us at archives@ucmail.uc.edu to schedule an appointment. Please contact the library staff in advance of your visit as some materials are located in remote storage centers, requiring 1-2 weeks to retrieve.
No. We welcome research visits to the library and you may search our records of genealogical interest at your leisure during regular hours. If you cannot visit, we recommend that patrons consult Hamilton County Genealogical Society for a list of professional researchers.
We will search the specific record sets of genealogical interest including Hamilton County Wills, Hamilton County Declarations of Intent, and Cincinnati Birth and Death records. However, we do not conduct general genealogical research. Please note that appointments are required to visit the library. For ease of service, you may download this genealogical records request form , print and mail it to the address listed on the form. We do NOT accept genealogical requests via email or phone, though you can contact us in those ways to find out how to make a request.
Yes. We have birth records for the City of Cincinnati covering 1874-1909 and death records for the City of Cincinnati covering 1865-1909. These records have been digitized and are available online.
Births and deaths inside the City of Cincinnati corporation limit after 1909 may be obtained by contacting the Cincinnati Health Department:
Vital Statistics Office
Phone: (513) 352-3120
http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/health/birth-death-certificates/
Births and deaths before 1909 in Hamilton County, Ohio but outside the City of Cincinnati may be obtained through the Hamilton County Probate Court. These records have been digitized and are freely available online at www.probatect.org/court-records/archive-categories
Births and deaths after 1909 in Hamilton County may be obtained by contacting the Ohio Department of Health:
Ohio Department of Health, Vital Statistics
Phone: (614) 466-2531
https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/know-our-programs/vital-statistics/vital-statistics
Genealogy volunteers created this list of medical terms explaining what the late 19th century medical terms mean and how these translate into modern language usage.
No. Marriage records are available through the Hamilton County Probate Court Records office, which has microfilm of all marriage records. You can contact them by phone at (513) 946-3551. The Probate Court has digitized many of its marriage records and has made them freely available online at
https://www.probatect.org/court-records/archive-categories
To receive copies by mail, complete the Genealogical Records Request Form and remit a check or money order for $10.00, payable to the University of Cincinnati, along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Response time is typically 2-3 weeks. The $10.00 fee is the minimum amount we assess and will cover 1-40 pages of photocopies. For more than 40 pages, you will be billed for the additional amount when we send your documents. You may also visit the department in person and obtain copies for 25 cents/page.
No. We require written requests, but you are welcome to call the library for information on how to make a genealogy record request.
Theses and dissertations are stored off-site. Please call 513-556-1959, or email us at archives@ucmail.uc.edu to have the dissertation ordered. Please provide the name of the author and title of the thesis or dissertation, along with your name and phone number or email address. The item will be ordered and you will be notified when the item arrives. Please allow at least one week (5 working days) for the thesis or dissertation to arrive onsite. Thesis and dissertations must be used at the Archives and Rare Books Library and cannot be checked out. For copyright reasons, for dissertations fifty years old or newer, we will photocopy only half the total number of pages; for complete copies, please contact University Microfilms, Inc. in Ann Arbor, Michigan for ordering information.
At this time records for select collections are available online. See the Digital Collections website for a complete list.
For collections that have not been digitized inventories or finding aids are often available online. You can search for archival collections at UC at: http://findingaids.libraries.uc.edu. Catalog records are also available for many collections: http://uclid.uc.edu/search/X.
We have a seminar room which may be used for small classes in which the instructor wishes to use library collections. For availability and policies, please call 513-556-1959 or email archives@ucmail.uc.edu
Our general policy is not to photocopy from rare books in order to better safeguard their condition. However, limited copies may be made in special circumstances. Photocopies of material from archival collections depends on the condition of the material and copyright. ARB staff must make all photocopies. Photocopies are 25 cents per page.
Please ask a ARB staff member before taking any photographs of materials as there may be restrictions on certain books or archival collections.
View our online tutorial to learn more about using the Archives and Rare Books Library: http://digital.libraries.uc.edu/elearning/special_collections/story_html5.html