July 1, 2026
Do you remember in the Harry Potter series when Tom Riddle says to Professor Slughorn, “I was in the library the other night, in the Restricted Section, and I read something rather odd about a bit of rare magic"? Well, that is what I thought of when I was in our library stacks at Midwest Genealogy Center a while back and I ran across a collection of books that can be a potential magical find for family historians – the US State Blue Books. And if you have a family member in Missouri, this is an even richer resource.
What are Blue Books? According to the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT), Blue Book is a term often referring to an almanac or other compilation of statistics and information. Ever heard of Kelly Blue Book? It is a website that maintains information about vehicles and their potential value. State Blue Books are basically a book of information or statistics about the state’s organizations and people and are produced annually or semi-annually. Not every state has one, and the states who do have one use them in different ways. For more information and to see which states have a blue book, check out: https://godort.libguides.com/bluebooks.
Missouri’s Blue Books are an amazing resource. Published annually since 1878, these books are full of information about people who lived in and worked for the state of Missouri. Do you have an ancestor that potentially ran for a public office, worked for a state organization (like a hospital, university, library, prison, etc.) or served in the police department or sheriff’s office in the state of Missouri? Their information is likely in these books – sometimes as much as their address, title, salary, and the political party they associated with. There are even photos of some people, especially if they served in certain capacities like judges or other public offices. We have most of the collection of Missouri state blue books here at the MGC, but you can also find them online at: https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook.
If you would like to learn more, you can attend our program about state Blue Books on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 2:00pm. To register, click here: https://www.mymcpl.org/events/119397/hidden-treasures-state-manuals-aka-blue-books.
I was able to find several of my family in the Missouri State Blue Book, including my 3rd great-grandfather who served as a judge. I hope you have success finding your family members too!
Jennifer C.
Midwest Genealogy Center
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