October is Family History Month
October 1, 2026
As we celebrate Family History Month in October, your Library is here to help you know and honor your ancestors. It is estimated that over 80 million people in the United States research their family history for a variety of different reasons. Exploring and preserving your family history enriches your sense of self and deepens your connection with generations past, present, and future. Finding out more about your heritage and culture through research can also help you start new family traditions, appreciate the value of your elders, and ensure important records will be preserved for your family’s future.
Your Lackawanna County Library System provides access to many online databases, including many that can assist with genealogical research. FamilySearch allows users to create an account where they can explore their family history. Ancestry Library Edition is available in-house at any Library location. Staff members also have access to Newspapers.com and can help look up articles, records, and more from a collection of digitized newspapers and periodicals.
The Scranton Public Library hosts the Lackawanna Valley Digital Archives, an online database that aims to make the history of the Lackawanna Valley accessible to anyone who can connect to the internet. This resource has a wide array of historical documents and local history pertaining to the greater Lackawanna County area, and can help you research the cultural traditions and historical moments that shaped our region.
In addition to the Digital Archives, the Albright Memorial Library’s Reference Department recently completed digitizing back issues of the Abington Journal from 1961 through 1973 in collaboration with the Abington Community Library, which holds the original paper copies, and thanks to a grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation.
Individual Libraries have standalone local history collections including yearbooks, regional newspapers, and other materials that can be browsed in person. Please contact your Library for more information, to check if a specific resource is available, or to find out if a genealogy group or workshop will be meeting at the Library.
More information, a complete list of available materials including birth and death certificates, newspapers on microfilm, and vital records, and a genealogy request form are available on our Genealogy page. We hope you will take some time to research your own family history this month and discover how fulfilling it can be to connect with your heritage.
