resources

Local History Research

Research your family and regional history in our Local History Room or with our online resources!

    • Local cemetery index Montgomery county tombstone inscriptions

    • Montgomery County Department of History and ArchivesLocated in Fonda, NY the archives holds a large collection of local genealogy and historical materials.

    • Family Search Provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Mormon Church has the largest genealogical library in the world; family genealogies, church records, census records, probate records from all over the world.

    • Social Security Death Index Find the birth date, death date and the place of death for Americans who died after 1962.

    • Vital Records How to obtain birth, death, marriage, or divorce records from different states and territories.

    • NY Gen Website Volunteer run website giving historical information about communities throughout NY State.

    • Fulton Montgomery Photo ArchivesA compilation of historic photos from various repositories, including The Johnstown City Historian, The Johnstown Historical Society, The Johnstown Public Library, and The Montgomery County Archives.

    • New York HeritageA gateway to hundreds of digital collections from libraries, museums, and archives all over New York State.

    • American MemoryA gateway to rich primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. The site offers more than 7 million digital items from more than 100 digital collections. Enter the name of your hometown to find historical images.

    • Information files on local families and local landmarks

    • Books relating to Mohawk Valley History

    • Bound volumes of local family genealogies

    • Canajoharie High School yearbooks

    • Information files on local families and local landmarks​

Research websites and Databases

Whether you are writing a paper, looking to build an addition to your home, or have a legal research question the Arkell Museum and Canajoharie Library can help you find answers and solutions.

We offer a large range of Reference materials for use in the Library and from home! You can access Online Databases free of charge, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Use them to locate reliable information in magazines, newspapers and scholarly journals to satisfy your everyday interests, research and/or study needs.

do-it-yourself computer lessons

Get Tech Help at the Library!

    • Digital Learn offers beginner courses about 6 to 20 minutes long, depending on the course. Each course contains a transcript and a certificate of completion for you to print out after you’ve completed it. It’s also available in Spanish!

      Courses include:

      • Navigating a website

      • Intro to email

      • Online scams

      • Intro to Facebook

      • Microsoft Word

    • This site offers a variety of online classes, not just computer classes. The computer classes they do offer are beginner to intermediate courses. It offers written lessons and video tutorials.
      Courses include:

      • Typing tutorial

      • Internet safety

      • Image editing 101

      • Using cloud-based software

zoom backgrounds

Artful Zoom Backgrounds

Try one of our Zoom backgrounds. All images are part of the permanent collection of the Arkell Museum. All you have to do is download the file and follow the directions below. 
*Please note the Zoom mirror effect - the logo and text will appear backward to you when you apply the background. This is a mirror effect, others will see the text written correctly, only you see it backward.*


How to Add a Virtual Background

Click the "download file" button under the image. It will open to a new window. Right click and save the image to your computer.

Next time you log into your Zoom account for a virtual meeting, select the video icon on the bottom left hand side of your screen. Select the “choose virtual background” option. Here you can upload one of these images to be your virtual background.


For detailed instructions visit: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/204674889-Zoom-Rooms-Customized-Background

A zoom background featuring the Arkell Museum and Canajoharie Library logo. The painting is "Life on the Towpath" by A. Wordsworth Thompson. It features a farmer walking horses and a dog by a river, with ducks entering the river.
A zoom background featuring the Arkell Museum and Canajoharie Library logo. The painting is "The Mohawk Valley at Little Falls, New York" by William Rickarby Miller. It is a muted scene of the Little Falls area showing trees, buildings, and the river
A zoom background featuring the Arkell Museum and Canajoharie Library logo. The painting is "New York and the Erie Canal" by William Coventry Wall. It is a painting of the Erie Canal and the landscape around it.
A zoom background for "Beach on Nova Scotia" by William Glackens. The painting features multiple people on the beach enjoying the nice weather, while boats are in the water. One figure is waving to the sailboats nearby.
A zoom background featuring the Arkell Museum and Canajoharie Library logo. The painting is "On the Beach" by Winslow Homer. The painting is a beachside with rocky waves, and a group of women in bathing suits on the left facing away from the viewer.