Edition 1.0 · Sources checked September 29, 2026. Compiled from public institutional descriptions; no staff confirmation or onsite inspection. Check current access before visiting.
Bring a name, a place, an approximate date range, and one question. These prompts work for any family line. Collection coverage can cross county boundaries; this is a starting guide, not an itinerary.
STOP 01 / PUBLIC LIBRARY | COLUMBUS / CENTRAL OHIO
Columbus Metropolitan Library
Look beyond the book catalog.
When to try it
Start here when you have a Columbus neighborhood, address, school, or organization to investigate.
What to look for
My History brings together photographs, documents, maps, and yearbooks. The Local History & Genealogy page also points to archival finding aids - descriptions of collections and their contents.
How to begin
Start with My History online. For material described in a finding aid, ask staff how to consult it; an online description is not necessarily a digital copy. Confirm arrangements for physical archival material before a visit.
A question you can ask
"I am researching [person or address] in [years]. Are there archival collections or neighborhood files I should consult beyond the online images?"
Keep in mind
Search by place, organization, and surname variants. A person may appear within a collection without being named in its description.
STOP 02 / DIGITAL ARCHIVE | UPPER ARLINGTON
Upper Arlington Public Library
A library can lead you to council minutes.
When to try it
Try this when a person, property, school, or local business connects to Upper Arlington.
What to look for
UA Archives includes City and Village Documents beginning in 1918, historical maps, Norwester yearbooks, and Norwester magazines from 1917-1922. The library describes digitized Village Commission and City Council proceedings.
How to begin
Open UA Archives from the library page, choose the relevant collection, and check the dates actually available. The introductory page lists yearbooks through 2000 but also describes ongoing additions; use the live collection to establish coverage.
A question you can ask
"Do your proceedings for [year] include an index? I am looking for [name, street, business, or issue]. Are any relevant volumes not online?"
Keep in mind
A meeting entry can identify a resident or activity without establishing a family relationship. Record the meeting date and page, not just a search-result link.
STOP 03 / HISTORICAL SOCIETY | WORTHINGTON / SHARON TOWNSHIP
Worthington Historical Society
Follow the record to its present keeper.
When to try it
Try this for Worthington families, houses, organizations, or connections to historic Sharon Township.
What to look for
The society describes family files, photographs, ledgers, correspondence, and other archival material. Its research guide also points to Sharon Township minutes, account books, poll books, and civil and criminal dockets at Ohio History Connection.
How to begin
Use the Resources and Links page and its research-file indexes. Subject files are available by appointment; copying or scanning may carry a charge. Confirm access separately with the organization that actually holds the records.
A question you can ask
"Does your [family or subject] file cover [person, place, years]? Which items are original documents, and which are later research? Where are the relevant township records held?"
Keep in mind
The society explains that subject files vary greatly and contain much secondary material. Treat a family-history assertion as a lead until you assess its supporting evidence.
STOP 04 / COMMUNITY MUSEUM AT A PUBLIC LIBRARY | WESTERVILLE
Westerville History Museum
Search the catalog as well as the scans.
When to try it
Try this for a Westerville family, school, church, business, or community organization.
What to look for
The museum lists photographs, maps, oral histories, obituaries, and wedding announcements; the last two collections begin in 1880. It also provides Anti-Saloon League material and other local history collections.
How to begin
The museum page has separate links to all digitized records and all records. Explore both. Physical-collection research requires an appointment, even though exhibit visitors can walk in during museum hours.
A question you can ask
"Your catalog mentions [item or collection]. Is it digitized? If not, can I request a copy or arrange to consult it? What dates and places does it cover?"
Keep in mind
Museum exhibits are only one way into the collections. Catalog coverage, digitization, and item access are separate questions. Do not assume every year or resident is represented.
Try this when a community guide points to transferred records or your question crosses local boundaries.
What to look for
Worthington Historical Society points to Sharon Township records at Ohio History Connection; ask OHC to confirm the series and call number. OHC also describes manuscripts relating to business, education, politics, and religious organizations.
How to begin
Start with the Archives & Library catalog and record the collection title and call number. Ask about dates, restrictions, retrieval, copying costs, and appointments before traveling.
A question you can ask
"I am looking for [record series] created by [township, municipality, school district, or other office] in [years]. Do you hold it, and what is its call number and access procedure?"
Keep in mind
As checked September 29, 2026, the Archives & Library page posts a closure through October 2 and reopening by appointment October 8. Check its live access notice before every visit. A statewide repository does not hold every local record.
Identify the record creator.
A municipality, township, and school district may create different records for the same area. Identify the office responsible for your place and period, then establish who holds its surviving records.
Save the source title, date, page or item number, repository, and link. A search with no results does not establish that a record never existed.
Record the collection, dates and pages searched, what you found, and one next step. These guides work on their own. For a fuller workspace, the optional Brick Wall Case File is a $15 Word and PDF toolkit sold by Brick Wall Protocol.