Donate Genealogical Research

One of the resources which we provide for genealogical researchers is research done by other people.  People have been submitting that research to the MdHS for more than 100 years.  If it is one or two folders worth of material, we place it in Filing Case A; if it is more than that, it becomes a "G" or Genealogical Manuscript Collection.

If you have done research on Maryland families and would like to donate copies to us to share with other researchers, we would be happy to include it in either Filing Case A or the G Collections IF you have documented your sources in detail, the material is well-organized, and it relates to one or more Maryland families. 

For your donation, please:

• Remove all staples, metal clips, rubber bands, and similar materials, except for plastic paper clips.
• Submit your material already organized in a logical fashion, whether that be by family group, chronology, or some other method.
• Send a letter clearly stating that you are giving us this material and that we may duplicate it and distribute it to others.  This will allow us to photocopy, scan, microfilm, or otherwise preserve it when the copies you send begin to deteriorate; it also will allow us to give other researchers the right to copy material to the extent allowed by copyright law's "Fair Use" provisions.  It would not give other researchers the right to publish your research as their own.
• Include either in the above letter or on a separate piece of paper a one-paragraph description describing the material and listing the related family names included in it ; see our existing G Collections descriptions for examples.   

If there are genealogical research materials you would like to donate, please contact Francis O’Neill at (410) 685-3750, ext. 358, or library_dept@mdhs.org. We would love to have volunteers to help process Filing Case A and G Collections. If you are interested, please contact Francis O’Neill as above.

It would be great if you would donate some money along with your research materials, especially if you are donating a box or more of material.  A donation of $20 or $25 per box would help us purchase archival folders and boxes, ensuring your research materials will survive for years to come.  Any amount you could give us would be a great help.