Reference Inquiries

The Presbyterian Historical Society's reference archivists are available to help facilitate your research in the Society's collections and will work with you to identify collection materials that may be relevant to your research.

Staff respond to inquiries in the order of institutional priority, complexity, and available staffing. Your patience is appreciated.

The following online resources are available for you to begin searching our collections:  

• Calvin library catalog  
• Sheppard databases
• Pearl digital collections
• Guides to Archival Collections  

Our Guide to Genealogy Research provides information to get you started on your research. This guide will help you identify congregations connected to the individuals you are researching; understand what relevant records may exist in the PHS collections; and provide guidance on searching PHS catalogs and databases to find records of interest. 

Portions of our holdings are not described online and must be searched onsite in our Reading Room. Consult the Information for Researchers webpage to learn about conducting research at the Presbyterian Historical Society and to schedule a research appointment.

PHS provides several services to help you gain access to information in our holdings:

• Use the Attestation webform to request an attestation of your baptism, marriage or church membership.
• The Biographical Research Service is a fee-based service that provides limited biographical information on some, but not all, Presbyterian ministers and missionaries.
• Use our Transcript Request webform to request your transcript from one of six closed Presbyterian schools/colleges. If you are an employer, use the Education Verification webform.

Ready to submit a question? Use the General Reference Inquiry webform below or email us at  [email protected]. To contact us by phone, please call (215) 627-1852.

General Reference Inquiry Form