Grand Rapids Public Library (image from Wikipedia)

The Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street, NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503, is located a few blocks from the conference hotels. The Grand Rapids History & Special Collections department on the fourth floor, features over 5,000 genealogy and family history books and more than 30,000 volumes on local, state, and Midwestern history. Over 450 archival collections include photographs, maps, newspapers, postcards, scrapbooks, and ephemera relating to the Grand Rapids area. The library is home to one of the largest collections of books on furniture design in the nation. Genealogy Guides and a sampling of the resources are available at http://www.grpl.org. The library is open Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m.‒9:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m.‒6:00 p.m., and Sunday 1:00 p.m.‒5:00 p.m. Parking is available and free on the weekends.

Grand Rapids City Archives, 223 Washington Street, SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503, includes assessment records, tax records, Polk City Directories, and all city government records. You need to make an appointment in advance by calling 616-456-4127 or email [email protected] Details about the collection can be found at http://grcity.us/city-clerk/Pages/City-Archives-and-Research-Center.aspx.

Archives of the Christian Reformed Church in North America are located at the Calvin College Archives, 1855 Knollcrest Circle, SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, 616-526-6916. Details about the collection may be viewed at http://www.calvin.edu/hh/crc_archives.htm. Hours are the same as college business hours.

Joint Archives of Holland, Theil Research Center, 9 East 10th St., Holland, Michigan 49422, located about 40 miles from the convention center, includes the archives for Hope College, Western Theological Seminary, and the A. C. Van Raalte Institute which focuses on Dutch American history of the 19th and 20th centuries. More information can be found at https://Hope.edu/library/joint-archives-holland/collections/. Open Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.‒5:00 p.m., except closed an hour for lunch.

Herrick Public Library, 300 S. River Ave., Holland, Michigan 49423 includes a genealogy room with information on Ottawa and Allegan Counties, obituary collection, as well as Dutch surname files. More information is available at https://herrickdl.org/genealogy. The library is open daily but hours vary. Early May is the Tulip Festival in Holland so well worth the drive.