About Us

Rochester Voices is a project of the Local History & Genealogy Division of the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County. It is operated and administered by the Rochester Public Library.

This interactive, mobile-friendly website is designed to engage a K-12 audience, as well as the general public, in the study of local, state, national, and even global history, by allowing users to explore the stories of Rochesterians who experienced the past first-hand. Combining the features of an online special collections catalog and interpreted digital exhibits with those of an exploratory learning laboratory, this site enables diverse users to interact with unique historical materials in a variety of exciting new ways.

The original letters, diaries, interviews, and other primary sources that make up the Rochester Voices digital collections are held in the Local History & Genealogy Division’s special collections and those of its partners.

This project was made possible through the generous support of the Gleason Family Foundation, through a grant to the Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library.

Our Partners

We would like to thank the people who contributed time and knowledge to the development of this site by advising us on content and functionality:

  • Jim Belair
  • Jean Hurst
  • Kristen Pasquarella
  • Jim Burlingame
  • Timothy Kneeland
  • Randy Schenk
  • Mike Frisch
  • Sarah Kowiak
  • Henry Teegarden
  • Jennifer Gkourlias
  • Stephen LaMorte
  • Lisa Wing
  • Jan Gleason
  • Spero Michailidis
  • Mike Yates

The staff and students of Genesee Community Charter School and Young Women’s College Prep deserve particular recognition for their ongoing work in planning and testing the site.

The following volunteers and/or interns assisted with content development:

  • Paige Doerner
  • Kirsten Feigel
  • Chris Fisher
  • Linda Lopata
  • Sarah Mantz
  • Andreas Meyris
  • Betsy Morgans
  • Emily Morry
  • Amy Pepe
  • Matthew Wood

Student artwork for the Classroom Connections page was provided by Maureen Lockner’s Genesee Community Charter School students and Fairport High School student Taylor Samuel.