Sources checked October 29, 2026. Holdings checked against official catalogs and repository descriptions. Staff-confirmed details are identified below; other holdings are based on published sources. No name-level search; dates do not guarantee complete coverage or online images.
STOP 01 / COMMUNITY COLLECTION
Havana Public Library: a local newspaper request with an exact date
The library houses the county genealogical society’s collection and offers a digital archive of its first fourteen historical-newspaper reels. Its local collection includes maps, yearbooks and photographs.
A focused question to ask
Which title and issue covers this event, and is the material online or available during an appointment?
Evidence limit: The digitized reels are only part of the newspaper holdings. A collection-format description does not establish a complete school or year run.
STOP 02 / UIS IRAD
Mason City library: follow an institution’s own record
A public-library record and board minutes can support questions about local cultural life and library administration.
Mason City: Public Library Record 1908–1934 · Accession 4/0249/04
Mason City: Public Library Board Minutes 1914–1972 · Accession 4/0249/03
A focused question to ask
What does the library record contain, and do the minutes identify staff, purchases or the question I am investigating?
Evidence limit: The catalog titles do not establish borrower lists or reading histories. Ask about the record’s format before treating it as evidence about an individual reader.
STOP 03 / UIS IRAD
Mason City Township: roads and audited business
These township books provide a separate route from the municipality of Mason City.
Mason City Twp: Highway Commissioners’ Record 1883–1981 · Accession 4/0352/01
Mason City Twp: Township Auditors’ Record 1899–1941 · Accession 4/0352/03
A focused question to ask
Is the road or public expense indexed, and which volume covers the locality and year?
Evidence limit: Township and city governments are different creators. The broad dates do not guarantee every year or named worker appears.
IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: University of Illinois Springfield. Direct IRAD research requests to the regional depository, not the university’s separate archives or special collections.
Call first. UIS official pages differ about appointment availability and whether email research requests are accepted. Mail is a listed request route; confirm current staffing, the mailing address, appointments and copying arrangements directly before visiting.
Start with no more than two names, approximate dates, the county and the record type. Include the township or school where known and the accession number above. Ask whether an index exists, which volumes survive and what copying will cost. For an unindexed series, agree on a manageable search before requesting a long period. The statewide policy directs research requests to telephone or mail rather than email; wait for a response before sending another request. See the statewide research policy ↗.
Request template: I am researching [person or place] in [locality] around [years]. Your catalog lists [title], accession [number]. Which volume covers that period, is it indexed, and how can I consult or obtain the relevant pages? Please let me know any gaps, restrictions and copying charges.
Collection dates at a glance
The table lists IRAD series with verified date spans. Community collections above may have different or unspecified coverage and separate access rules. Catalog spans are starting points, not guarantees of every year, locality or individual. Use the Research Planner to compare your years with these cataloged series.
Selected cataloged series for Mason County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
Mason City: Public Library Record
1908–1934
4/0249/04
Mason City: Public Library Board Minutes
1914–1972
4/0249/03
Mason City Twp: Highway Commissioners’ Record
1883–1981
4/0352/01
Mason City Twp: Township Auditors’ Record
1899–1941
4/0352/03
Keep the record and your interpretation separate.
Save the depository, collection, accession number, volume, page, dates and any copy correspondence. Record uncertain names as uncertain. A shared road, school or signature can suggest an association; it does not establish a family relationship.
Suggest a correction, an overlooked collection or an updated access detail. An official link or source helps us check it before making a change. Please leave out private family documents and sensitive personal information.