Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS)

Libraries used to be places mostly full of books found by thumbing through drawers of a massive wooden card catalog. Not anymore. Now patrons expect to search library catalogs from home, and when they visit a library, they expect high-tech resources including computers, film readers/printers, scanners, and online databases.

The Hoffman Research Library at the Minnesota Genealogy Center is no exception. Our researchers expect a robust wifi connection on up-to-date equipment. They expect free access to expensive genealogy databases, including Ancestry, Fold3, FindMyPast, AmericanAncestors, Genealogy Québec, PRDH, ArkivDigital, SVAR Riksarkivet, and EmiWeb – even access to some of those restricted FamilySearch digitized records because MGS is a Family History Library Affiliate.

Here’s one more thing you probably didn’t expect: the cost to provide just this technology is nearly $20,000. Every year. The Minnesota Genealogical Society and its library partners strive to meet your research technology expectations. The hard part is paying for it.

Your financial gift will help ensure the Hoffman Research Library has the technology you expect to help you research the people of your past. You can expect your tax-deductible donation will be used to meet these library needs. 

  On behalf of the MGS Board of Directors and our fantastic volunteers, “Thank you!”

MGS is Minnesota's premier genealogy and family history organization. We help people with Minnesota connections discover their family history.

Together with our many ethnic/nationality branches and affiliates, we offer classes and conferences for beginners to advanced researchers. The Hoffman Research Library located in the Minnesota Genealogy Center in Mendota Heights house a collection of over 30,000 volumes, maps, and microfiche/microfilms.