Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy

In conjunction with the National Archives' release of the 1940 Federal Census, the Milstein Division and NYPL Labs has just launched Direct Me NYC: 1940, a new website featuring newly digitized 1940 phone directories for the five boroughs of New York City. This interactive tool permits researchers to convert historical street addresses into Census Enumeration Districts, enabling more targeted navigation of the census records. Users are also invited to share stories about persons and addresses explored during their journey to the census. The site is live at directme.nypl.org

The Milstein Division collects materials documenting American History on the national, state and local level, Genealogy, Heraldry, Personal and Family Names, and Flags.  Its holdings and research services are used each year by thousands of scholars, students, family historians, city planners, television and film producers, novelists and playwrights, visual artists and anyone interested in history.  Learn more about our world-class collections, and follow the activities of the Division through our blog, flickr twitter and facebook pages.

The Milstein Division bears the responsibility for maintaining the excellence of a body of materials that has traditionally been one of the strengths of The Research Libraries. The Astor Library's holdings of United States history on the national, state and local level were enriched by the acquisition of the George Bancroft Collection, purchased by the Lenox Library. Later significant additions were the Ford, Emmet and Myers Collections. Complementary holdings in the Rare Books and Manuscripts & Archives Division, the Print Room and other divisions of The Research Libraries enhance the resources of The Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy.

As one of the nation's largest publicly accessible and non-membership genealogical collections, the Milstein Division is a national resource. Cited in most family history handbooks, the Milstein Division is a mecca to researchers from throughout the United States. Unlike many other genealogical and local history collections, the Milstein Division acquires materials beyond the local region. Holdings in United States town, city, county and state histories are national in scope. Genealogical materials are international in scope, including foreign language materials in Roman alphabets.

The Milstein Division's book and serial collections are supplemented by materials in other formats. Visual resources include photographic and negative collections, primarily of New York City views, and over 100,000 postcards documenting United States local views. A local history ephemera collection of pamphlets, leaflets, etc., provides primary study materials for the cultural, social, and religious history of the United States. The Milstein Division also collects political campaign ephemera, including broadsides, pamphlets, and candidate position papers. Vertical files and genealogical charts further enhance the holdings of The Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy.

The Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy is endowed through a generous gift from the Paul & Irma Milstein Foundation.