Generally, The MacGahan Genealogy & Local History Room is accessible to researchers at any time during the library's operating hours. The room, however, is infrequently closed to researchers during library programs. These closings are advertised on the library's website, and researchers should contact the library if they are uncertain regarding the availability of the genealogy and local history collection.
The majority of the genealogy and local history collection is owned and maintained by The Perry County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society and is not searchable from the library's automated catalog. Items in the collection cannot be checked out by researchers.
Library staff at the reference desk are happy to assist researchers in the use of the room's resources but will refer questions that require travel outside the library or lengthy research to a representative from The Perry County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Other entities may charge a fee for their research services. Members of the Genealogical Society staff the room and offer assistance to researchers periodically, but, as of now, there is no fixed schedule that indicates when they will be in the room.