The Midwest Genealogy Center (MGC) is one of the United States' preeminent resources for family history, providing access to almost three-quarters of a million on-site materials. MGC features 52,000 square feet of space that houses all of the free resources needed to research your family history.
MGC’s collections offer resources for genealogy research that span the United States and countries around the world. MGC also houses a uniquely expansive circulating collection and almost completely open stacks. You’ll find access to databases, scanning and digitization stations, oral history recording kits, microfilm reader scanners, and more.
The Beginnings of the Midwest Genealogy Center
MGC is part of the Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL) system which has a long history of providing outstanding genealogy resources. In 1971, MCPL acquired a collection of Missouri county histories, and the "Missouri Room" was opened at the Independence Branch to accommodate patrons pursuing local historical information. By the mid-1970s, the North Independence Branch became the home of MCPL’s genealogy collection. This collection was moved to the lower level of the North Independence building in 1996 and became known as the Genealogy and Local History Branch. In June 2008, MGC opened at 3440 S. Lee's Summit Road in Independence, Missouri.
MGC’s circulating collection is donation based and began with contributions from genealogy organizations such as American Family Records Association (AFRA), the Missouri State Genealogical Association (MoSGA), the Heart of America Genealogical Society (HAGS), and the Gann Historical Society & Library, Inc.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Does your staff provide reference or research services?
Yes. Please review our research policy. -
Are materials available through interlibrary loan?
Yes, there are over 23,000 genealogy and local history books available on interlibrary loan to researchers nationwide through local libraries. You may search our online catalog to find available items.
Microforms Records
- All available U.S. federal population census schedules 1790 - 1930
- U.S. Land Sales in Missouri 1818 - 1903
- Draper Manuscripts
- Kentucky Tax Records
- Missouri State Penitentiary Records, 1836 - 1931
- Papers of the St. Louis Fur Trade
- Indexes to Compiled Service Records of MO Union and Confederate Civil War Soldiers
- Compiled Service Records of MO Union and Confederate Civil War Soldiers
- Selected passenger lists, Native American sources, and state and local Sources
- Partial state vital records for WA, AL, OR
- Records of Antebellum Southern Plantations
- City directory collection
- Independence Examiner, Kansas City Star, Kansas City Times and approximately 50 other Missouri newspaper titles.
- American Biographical Archives
- Black Biographical Dictionaries
- Civil War Unit Histories
- Partial state vital records for AR, CA, GA, IL, IN, KY, OR, and TX
- Massachusetts original town records (incomplete - ongoing purchase)
- UMI Genealogy and Local History Series
- United States Serial Set
- Executive Branch Documents
Reference Book Collection
- Over 23,000 books available for checkout and interlibrary loan
- 155,000 title collection of family genealogies
- Local and state histories
- Compiled county records for all U.S. states
- International records
- Genealogy Periodical Collection (over 2,000 titles and more than 500 current subscriptions)
- Census Indexes