Address
Conrad Grebel University College
140 Westmount Road North
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G6
Phone: 519-885-0220 x24238
Office location: CGR 3201
Hours
Monday to Friday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I make an appointment with the archivist?
Archives services are limited until August 24, 2025 while Archivist Laureen Harder-Gissing is on research leave. Access to archival materials will be by appointment or prior arrangement only. If you are planning a visit, contact the Archives well in advance as email and phone messages will be checked only periodically.
See Plan Your Visit for more information.
Do you answer genealogy or family history questions?
If you have a question and cannot make a research visit, remote queries will be answered as staff time allows. We will attempt to answer a question if it can be done in about 15 minutes. Please note that we are not able to provide digital copies of Einwandererzentralstelle (EWZ) Mennonite names files via email. Make an in-person appointment to view these files.
We have created several online resources which will be of help, either in advance or in place of a visit:
- Our genealogy guide addresses many common questions
- Most of our photographs are available to search in the Mennonite Archival Information Database (MAID). Photographs can be downloaded through MAID for a cost recovery fee.
Can I request scans of archival materials?
Researchers on-site are usually allowed to scan or photograph archival materials. Check with staff before proceeding.
If you are unable to visit, we may be able to scan archival materials for you for a fee. Please contact us listing the materials you are interested in, and we will respond with an estimated cost and timeline. The archives may refuse requests for reasons of copyright, fragility of materials, amount of material requested or limitations of time. See the Plan Your Visit page for more information.
To request digital copies of photographs order online through the Mennonite Archival Information Database. If you require higher resolution copies or copies for commercial use, contact the archives.
We are sometimes asked to copy library materials. Generally speaking, we cannot directly provide library copies. Try the interlibrary loan department of your local university or public library for this service.
How do I donate archival materials to the Archives or books to the Library?
- Read here about donating archival materials
- Read here about depositing Mennonite Church Eastern Canada congregational records
- Read here about donating books or other published materials (including Bibles) to the Milton Good Library
What’s the difference between the Milton Good Library and Mennonite Archives of Ontario?
The Mennonite Archives of Ontario is located within the Milton Good Library. Generally, the Archives houses unpublished materials, and the Library houses published materials.
Archival documents cannot leave the Archives, while most Library materials can circulate. The Library includes a specialized collection of Mennonite Studies materials that can be very helpful to an Archives researcher. Library materials are catalogued in the University of Waterloo library catalogue.
The Library's rare book and periodicals collection is housed within the Archives and accessible only during Archives' open hours (9am-4pm, Monday to Friday). In the library catalogue, these items are designated as "Milton Good Library rare monographs" or "Milton Good Library rare periodical." Generally, rare items can be requested at the Milton Good Library desk without an appointment. However, rare items published before 1840 frequently require special handling and the presence of the archivist. If requesting to view a pre-1840 item, please contact us.
Learn more on the Milton Good Library website.
For general library help, email libcgc@uwaterloo.ca or phone 519-885-0220 x34400.