Local History & Genealogy
Your place to discover your history.
Get the Help You Need
Visit Main Library in person. No appointment necessary to browse our collection.
- For a one hour in-person consultation with one of our staff members, please book an appointment.
Prefer help from home?
- Reserve an Expert to get online, one-on-one help with genealogy, local history or house history questions.
Request an Obituary
We provide access to the largest and most comprehensive collection of recent U.S. obituaries available online. Order up to six free obituaries per month.
Instructions
- Search Columbus Dispatch Digital for obituaries from 1871 to the present.
- Can’t find what you need? Submit a request using the form below.
Individuals may submit up to 6 obituary requests per month. Most obituary replies will be sent within 48 hours. Obituary requests are accepted but not processed on Sundays, major holidays, or Unexpected Closing days. Obituaries will be delivered by email or mail. Emailed obituaries are free and viewable with free software from Adobe.
- No email? Franklin County residents without access to email should visit any CML location or call (614) 645-2275 for information.
Obituary Request
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The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.
Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement.
Have a question? Email us.
Local History & Genealogy
My History
Access Central Ohio’s Digital History
Explore thousands of photos, documents, maps and yearbooks.
Help Preserve Ohio’s History
We’re looking for photos that tell the stories of central Ohio.
We’ll Scan Your Items
Set up a time to bring them in for us to scan or if you want to donate them.