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Searching For Birth Mother; Searching For Adoptee – Call The Library!
Searching For Birth Mother | Searching For Adoptee
The Public Library is a great resource if you are searching for your birth mother or searching for an adoptee.
Not convinced? Here’s just one example of how a library can help you when searching for your birth mother:
If you were adopted in New York City and have your amended (adopted) birth certificate, you can obtain your original birth name by visiting the New York Public Library Genealogy Department. This department has original birth listings (in birth books and on microfiche) dating back many years. With the last four digits of your amended birth certificate number and your date of birth, you can find your original, pre-adoption birth listing and birth name. (Warning, our OmniTrace staff searches the New York birth indexes often and a search can take several hours to complete.)
Here is a sample page of the New York Birth Index:
(You’ll need Adobe Reader to view this.) You can download Adobe here:
Perhaps we have your attention now on how a library can help you with your search. 
If you are an adoptee searching for your birth mother, you will want to contact the County Library where your adoption took place. Also, if you have information on your birth mother, such as where she was from, you’ll want to contact the County Library in that geographical vicinity as well.
If you are a birth mother searching for an adoptee, you should contact the County Library where the adoption took place. And, if you have information on the adopting parents, such as their names and where they were from, you’ll want to contact the County Library in that geographical vicinity.
Of course, if your search is not adoption related–perhaps you are searching for an old friend–the library can help you too. You’ll want to contact the County Library located where the subject and/or the subject’s family members were last residing.
(Please note: Contacting city libraries may also help with your search.)
When contacting a library, you should ask for the reference department. This is where you’ll find many resources that can help you with your search. (Please note: Many reference departments have separate genealogy departments.)
Speak with a reference librarian and say you are searching for your birth mother or searching for an adoptee–make sure they are not too busy and can give you their full attention. Reference librarians have great skills when it comes to research and you’ll be amazed at how helpful they can be–and their search expertise is FREE!
Here are possible resources the librarian might research or point out to you:
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Old and current telephone and city directories
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Reverse directories
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Newspaper databases
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Free Internet access
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Genealogy records – including birth indexes
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Genealogy databases – such as Ancestry
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Trade Organizations and professional association directories
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Business directories
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Legal directories
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Adoption agency directory
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CD Rom National Phone Directories
Make sure you are courteous and thankful to the librarian who assists you. It’s good to be polite and you may need their assistance more than once.
Here is a link to find nearly every Public Library in the USA: Library Finder
We hope this post has demonstrated how valuable the Public Library system can be when searching for your birth mother or searching for an adoptee.
You might enjoy these related posts:
i am looking for my birthmother. i was adopted by a couple in passaic nj, i was born in 1968 in atlantic city, december 6th my birth name was dawn but my parents changed it to christine. Please contact me if you have any information im looking for medical records…..
i am looking for my brother who was adopted by a plano texas family in december of 1989. he was born on november 30 1989 and his parents named him kevin. they also had a son who is 16 years older named chris. this family also has addresses in houston. if you have any information on how i could find kevin please let me know. i have been searching for him for years. i have done many searches in the past 3 years cuz he was getting of legal age. and now he’s 19 and still no internet information on him. which worries me to death.
I am looking for my birthmother. I was born in 1957 in Trenton, NJ. My birth name was Cheryl Ann Stone and is now Karen Missbach. My mother’s name was Joyce and my father’s name was Robert. Joyce had two sisters. According to the adoption agency (Children’s Home Society) she was 24 at the time and worked as a secretary.
iam looking for my son, he was born 01-25-80 in columbus ga.at the medical center. he was born shannon dale griffin, i dont know if his name has been changed or not.any help would be appriecated im going nuts without a clue, i have looked everywhere,i need any advice on how to search and get more information
thanks
I am looking for my daughter who was born on Sept. 3, 1969 and adopted thru Catholic Charities in Paterson NJ. She was given the name of Tammy Lynn Dexter on her original birth certificate. Any information would be appreciated, I would love to know that her life was a happy one. thanks
I am looking for Michelle Counsell who is looking for her 1/2 sister. I have the same d.o.b and was born in WA. Please reply if anyone has any information.
I am looking for Lisa Marie Stitt. d.o.b. 04/24/1959 in Pomona, California. She went to the International beverweerd Highschool in The Netherlands – Europe. Please if anyone knows her, or have some information about her, pleas let me know.
there is a reunion planned for 1974-1978 beverweerd students in July 2011, you can get some info there from facebook
I am looking for my cousin Birth name was Ronnie vicient Pope born 11/01/1955 are 11/02/1955 Born in Jefferson Davis Hospital Houston Texas, Harris County. Birth fathers name Fred vicient Pope born in Madiosonville TX 09/14/1932 & Died in Alabama a couple of months ago 2009
. Birth mother Louise lilly Busch Pope (not sure of the name order)she lived on Johnson Rd New Caney Tx at one time. Ronnie was Adobted out around age 2 by a Judge in Houston Tx. Please Help us find him we have searched for along time. Also seeking info on birth mother any help would be appreciated. Thank You
im looking for my biological mother i think her name is tajatah owens.my birth name was MarQuisha dawayna loggins mom if you are looking at this im the middle child there is three of us i know were the other to girl are we are all okay but my name has been changed and it is Amori shauntel alford
Shacretia nichole gray is now 19 im 15 and Tatianna d.Loggins is now 11 and both of them has had their name changed as well and Shacretia name is Nichelle N alford and tatianna is now tatiana D alford please com and find us nichelle’s birthday is June 29,1990,tatiana birthday is april 9 1997 mine is october 14 1994 i just want to know if you still care about us i hate calling people that are not my mom MOM but please please find us
I am looking for my birth son, William Osmond Kennedy.
Adopted by Clinton & Inez Kennedy. Born 1/21/1966
HI! MY NAME IS LUIS FONSECA BUT MY BIOLOGICAL NAME IS MICHAEL ALVAREZ. I AM ISO MY BIOLOGICAL MOTHER/FAMILY. I WAS BORN IN GREENPOINT HOSPITAL, BROOKLYN NY. MY BIOLOGICAL MOTHER WAS 16 YRS WHEN SHE GAVE ME UP…TOTALLY UNDERSTANDABLE…I AM NOW 39 WHICH WOULD MAKE HER ABOUT 55-56 YRS OF AGE. MOM IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE CONTACT OMNITRACE IN BOCA RATON FL AND THEY WILL CONTACT ME. THANKS AND GOD BLESS.
Looking for my Nephew
Born on September 18 1975 @ Montgomery County Pa Hospital…Birth Mother Lisa Marziano
From Lafayette Hills ,Pa 19444 her birthdate April 07 1957
Parents Jane A and Peter M Marziano
Lisa graduated from Plymouth whitemarsh High School in 1975.
I would love to reunite the two of you as your Birth Mother is not well and lost her Mother recently and grandmother…Her heart aces every year on your Birth date she didnot want to give you up for adoption.She prays you have a stable healthy life.That she can someday just see you to tell you she loves you that never did stop thinking aboutyou. I think it is possible you were at a pool party at my house around college graduation .You look like your Mothers Brother if it was you.It was in West Chester Pa a house right off North Chester Rd( RT 352 )Your age now should be 34…Do not hesistate to contact me… if you want to reunite to meet your Birth Mom.Promise it will be entirely up toyou.Blessings Cathyanne Marziano Snyder
im looking for ann-marie l lampert birth mom . her name was helen patricia dooling .i need told find her to let her know her little girl. bad time with her adopt mom and dad . i need to let her know that she died on dec 18/09 4:15 am for cancer. please help find her cindy
im looking for my birth mom i was born june 10 1965 in north atterboro mass i would like to know who i am
Please if you are going to give advice regarding a NYC birth name search, give full and correct advice ! You state that someone matches the last 4 digits of their birth certificate ? That’s inaccurate. Sometimes a person may need to match the last 5 numbers and or just 3. Are you aware that the same birth certificate mumber can appear in different boroughs ? People need to know that they must match the borough, the date of birth and the birth. Please stick to what you know.
Pamela, you really need to relax.
Our post (about using the library) just gave some general directions. When people respond to our blog, we either give them detailed instructions or direct them to someone who can assist them with the look-up.
As you know, there are several experienced persons who can do these look-ups.
Warmest regards,
Dana Betz
Dana, I cant find the post you wrote about searching the library. I am interested in reading about it. Can youstill do the search if you live in a different state than you were born?
Thanks, Suzanne
Hi Suzanne. This may be the post you are referring to: http://www.omnitrace.com/searching-for-birth-mother-searching-for-adoptee/
To answer your question, it doesn’t matter where you live in order to do a search. Of course, being near certain resources can be helpful. What’s more important is where you were born and adopted. Every state is different–some much harder to search in and some much easier.
Best regards,
Dana
Hi! I am looking for my birth brother. He was born around 1977 in philadelphia . I am pretty sure he was born in Aldan PA. My parents do not know I know so I have little information to go with.
LOOKING FOR MY ADOPTED BABY BROTHER BIRTH NAME IS UNNAMED PIERCE BORN JUNE 19 1962 TO A MATILDA ARLENE PIERCE MAIDEN NAME WARD BABY WAS GIVEN UP AT BIRTH. POSSIBLY IM WRONG ON DOB SO ANYTIME IN THE SUMMER MONTHS OF 1961-1963 IN DAYTON OHIO MONTGOMERY COUNTY BORN AT MIAMI VALLEY HOSPITAL AND POSSIBLY ADDOPTED THROUGH RED FEATHER ADOPTION AGENCY IN DAYTON OFF SALEM AVE NOW CALLED OHIO ADOPTION AGENCY. I CANNOT OBTAIN ANY RECORDS TO RECIEVE HIS AMMENDEND NAME AND THATS THE ONLY WAY I WOULD REALLY BE ABLE TO SEARCH FOR HIM SO IF ANY ONE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SOMEONE FITTING THESE DATES PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP.
BABY BROTHER IVE ALWAYS BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU I CANT WAIT TO FIND YOU!
Hello i am searching for my birth mother suzanne montieth.I was born august 3 1971. She had me in kingston ontario canada but lived in oswego new york.And gave me up for adoption in new york.Any info or where abouts of her would be greatly appreciated.Or any siblings that might know about me.