City Readers Digital Historic Collections at the New York Society Library

The Holland Society of New York was founded in New York City in 1885 to collect information respecting the settlement and history of New Netherland. Its main objective is to find and preserve documentation about the inhabitants' lives and times so as to elucidate the political, social, and religious patterns in the Dutch colony. Historical publications are sponsored, along with encouragement for family studies and genealogy. Many Society members are especially active in genealogical research and publication. The Holland Society originated The New Netherland Project which is translating and publishing the 17th Century records held by the New York State Archives. Among other current sponsorships are The Papers of Jacob Leisler Project and Records of the Translations of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Flatbush, Kings County, New York, and distributing copies of Svordet Duhrwei for free.

Membership consists of descendants in the direct male line of an ancestor who lived in New Netherland before or during 1675.

The Holland Society's library is an invaluable resource for those pursuing New Netherland studies, especially genealogy and family history. There are about 7,000 books of which 3,000 volumes deal with local history; 3,000 are family histories and genealogies, and 1,000 are reference books. There is an extensive vertical file collection which includes letters, photographs, genealogies and press clippings. All Holland Society publications are included in the collection. Copies of early church records provide information on births, marriages and deaths in New Netherland. These records number 109 volumes and are becoming computer accessible. The library subscribes to historical and genealogical society publications, collecting newsletters of family organizations with ancestry in New Netherland. While the collection focuses primarily on New Amsterdam and Hudson River settlements, it also follows early Dutch and allied migrations in North America. This growing collection concentrates in one place a large amount of information on the history and culture of the families that populated the Dutch colonies in America over three centuries ago. The library may be used by the public for a small fee, and there is some assistance with searches.