GSNJ Collections—Research Assistance and Copies

GSNJ offers assistance to those who cannot access our collections in person or who have questions about our holdings. Membership in GSNJ is not required for research requests. Requests are answered as promptly as possible by GSNJ’s Corresponding Secretary and are completed for records or information within GSNJ Collections only.

Update: Although same-day public access to GSNJ collections is not possible at Special Collections and University Archives’ temporary reading room, GSNJ is processing research requests. This includes GSNJ collections housed at SC/UA and the Bible and Family Records & the Cemetery Records and Transcriptions collections temporarily located at the New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, New Jersey. Click here for instructions for accessing the collections at NJSA.

Please note that GSNJ cannot:
1) guarantee that our search for records will be successful,
2) conduct research beyond the GSNJ collections, or
3) extend research beyond provided surnames or individuals.

GSNJ respects the copyright of authors. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

To request GSNJ Research Assistance and copies

1) Identify Your Research Needs (Bible and Family Records, GMNJ Articles, or General Research)

Providing record numbers and/or complete family names and dates will speed your request.

2) Complete Research Request Form

Download GSNJ Collections—Research Request Form. Complete the form on your computer or by hand.

Mail to
GSNJ Corresponding Secretary
P.O. Box 664
Hopewell, NJ 08525

Or

Email to reference@gsnj.org

3) Research Fees for Members and Non-Members

GSNJ Members receive copies and general research at no-cost. Non-Members will receive an invoice; research requests are added to the queue once payment is received. See the fee schedules below.

Non-member research fees:

    • $5 per Bible & Family Record copy (digital only)
    • $5 per GMNJ article (digital only)
    • $25 per hour for General Research. Initial $25 is for 1 hour of general research. (results sent digitally only)
    • Additional General Research hours will be coordinated with the requestor. Additional hours will be billed after research is complete. Research is provided after it is paid for.
    • If printed copies are requested, the cost for copies will be billed to requestor.

Member research fees:

    • 5 free Bible & Family Record requests per year (digital only)
    • 5 free GMNJ article requests per year (digital only)
    • 3 free hours of General Research per year (Results sent digitally only)
    • Once the annual cap is reached, non-member fees described above are applied.
    • If printed copies are requested, the cost for copies will be billed to requestor.
    • Although copies & general research are provided at no-cost, donations are welcome [GSNJ Bookstore].

4) Copies and Research Results

Copies of Bible and Family Records, GMNJ articles and material from the GSNJ General Collection are provided in digital format via email. If you want paper copies mailed to you, indicate this on the Research Request Form.

Questions? Email reference@gsnj.org

Other avenues for research in the GSNJ Collection

Conducting Research in Person

Researchers may use the GSNJ collections, free of charge, by visiting Special Collections and University Archives (SC/UA) at Rutgers University; however, all research visits must be arranged in advance. To schedule an appointment, click here.

The Special Collections and University Archives (SC/UA) at Rutgers University contains a vast amount of historical and genealogical materials, maps, photographs, publications about New Jersey history, and manuscript materials. Visit the SC/UA Rutgers website for complete rules and regulations.

Hiring a Researcher / Record Pulls

If the search within the GSNJ Collections does not provide the information you require; if you need research outside of GSNJ’s collections either at the SC/UA Rutgers, New Jersey State Archives, or other repositories; or if you need assistance with a particular research problem, consider hiring a New Jersey-based professional researcher.

GSNJ maintains a list of New Jersey Professional Researchers who can provide individualized research or record lookups. Please contact a researcher directly for information on services, pricing, and other terms.