The collection is national in scope, but with an emphasis on families from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New England. There are some reference works available for genealogical research outside of the U.S., but separate family histories are not collected for foreign countries. The library's online catalog provides access to information about genealogical materials via author, title, and subject searches; card files are available on site provide access to additional resources such as the surname records, vital records, city directories, and the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) collection.