Research

Please Note: The Coos History Museum research library will be open to the public for limited hours through February 2023.

The Coos History Museum maintains a research library that is available through email correspondence or in-person. In-person visits are scheduled in advance and are available by appointment only. Visitors must agree to the library use agreement before entry. In-person visitors are assisted by a volunteer library host and are able to view our reference collections materials and our photo database.

Please be aware that the in-person availability schedule depends on our volunteer library host’s availability. Contact curator@cooshistory.org in order to check the current availability.

Also, please consider our online options for your research needs: Research requests and digital photo requests and purchases can all be handled through online correspondence. If you have a specific research topic, please submit a research request form and our very experienced volunteer research team will compile our available information for you.

The first 30 minutes of this service is free and will be delivered to you via email. Most requests can be completely resolved in this time frame. Note: there are fees for requested additional research or to purchase non-watermarked digital photos.

To help you get started on learning more about South Coast history, please consult our Guide to Historical and Genealogical Resources of the South Coast.

This guide gives you specific information on sources for photos, maps, internet sites, published material, and newspapers for our region.

You may also like to view our Timeline of South Coast History to get an overview of important events on the southern Oregon coast.

The Coos History Museum sells electronic copies of most of the images in the collection. Prices vary depending on the purpose for use. Please see our Digital Images Services page for more information or contact a staff member for details.

To start a research request, download the Research Request form, fill out our online form below, or pick up a form the next time you visit the museum. Requests are answered in the order they are received. Please allow up to 14 business days for a response.

Summary of Research Fees

After the first 30 minutes, the Coos History Museum charges a non-refundable $30 per hour research fee.

Click here to download the Research Request form: Research Request