Have a question about Library Programs or Services. Looking for information on your house or the phone number of a business? The Reference and Research Services Department can help you with these and many other inquiries. Give us a call at 973-744-0500 or email us at montref@bccls.org.
How do I access the Library's Databases?
Click on the Databases tab at the top of the page. You can select your database by subject, from an alphabetical list, or look at a list of databases that include Magazines and Newspapers. Kids and Teen databases can be accessed by going to the Kids or Teen pages and selecting Kids' Databases or Teens' Databases. You will need a Montclair Public Library card to access the databases outside of the Library.
How much does it cost to print in Black & White and in Color?
Printing costs
.15 cents per Black & White page
.50 cents per Color page
How do I find information about my house?
If you want to find out about a building in Montclair...
(House, church, business, or any kind of building)
Check the Junior League Books.
These are officially called Montclair, 1694-1982: An Inventory of Historic, Cultural and Architectural Resources. Preservation Montclair. A Project of the Jr. League Montclair/Newark Inc. April 1982. (Local History 974.973; BAB R 974.973) They are located in the local history room on top of Map Case 2. These books have blue covers and are spiral bound.
Go to Volume 1 and use the index to locate the street and number of the building. Write down the number. It will be of the form 0713-1234. If there is no listing for a building, then the Junior League Books do not have information on that building.
With the number from Volume 1, select the appropriate remaining Volume, 2, 3, 4, or 5, and turn to the appropriate entry. There will be two pages on each building. The page usually includes information on:
Historic Name
Common Name
Location
Construction Date
Architect
Builder
Style
Form/plan Type
Number of Stories
Foundation
Exterior Wall Fabric
Fenestration (Windows)
Roof/chimneys
Photograph
Map
Siting, Boundary Description, and Related Structures
Check the city directories From 1920 there is an index by street address.
Check the tax records: Tax maps and tax books are located in the first aisle of non fiction on the second floor. To find a building in the tax records, first select the tax map for the year you want. We have tax maps form 1900-1967.
Some of the tax map books have a map of all of Montclair in the front of the book. If the map book has a map in the front, you can determine which map page has the property you want. If the map book does not have this map, then you will need to look page by page to locate your building.
Turn to that page and then locate the building in which you are interested. Record the map, block, and lot. E.G. 44 G 15.
Select the appropriate tax duplicate book and find the entry for the property you recorded from the tax map. Depending upon year the entry will have information:
Name of Owner
Street Number
Location and Description
Map Number
Block
Lot Number
Area
Houses
Out Buildings
Value Land
Value Buildings
Value Out Buildings
Value Real Estate
Value Personal
Household Exempt
Soldiers Exempt
Total Valuation
Poll
Total Tax
First Payment
Second Payment
Check the Subject Vertical File under the following:
