The Society also publishes periodicals and books, conducts educational programs, maintains a Committee on Heraldry, and offers other services.

The reception of this publication encouraged the Trustees to launch a quarterly journal, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, the first issue of which was dated January 1870.

With this money the Society was able to purchase a four-story brownstone at 226 West 58th Street, between Broadway and Seventh Avenue, in 1896.

By 1912, the library had become too large to fit inside Genealogical Hall, and the Trustees decided to try to raise $65,000 to acquire the adjacent building lot for expansion.

J. Pierpont Morgan contributed $10,000 on the condition that the Society raise the remainder, and this was accomplished by the end of 1913, mainly through the efforts of president Clarence Winthrop Bowen.

This was fueled by interest by descendants of 19th-century immigrants as well as African Americans, which in turn had resulted from 1977 telecast of Alex Haley's book Roots and the 1976 U.S.

As a result, the Society started to expand, and in the late 1980s computers began to be used in administration, publishing, and the library.

Since then, each year's local calendar has been filled with a variety of lectures as well as book signings, walking tours, all-day events, and a biennial genealogical conference.

The Society has also established a presence at national, regional and local genealogical conferences sponsored by other organizations.

In November 2008 the Society purchased a commercial condominium at 36 West 44th Street in the landmark Bar Building and created entirely new private offices on the 7th floor.

The architect Peter Pennoyer and designer John Claflin put the finishing touches on the plans.

The eLibrary was funded by a grant from the Homeland Foundation, as well as the donations of several New York Genealogical and Biographical Society members.

Clarence Winthrop Bowen, president of the Society (1907–1931), after whom the third floor gallery was named, and Samuel P. Avery, Jr., art connoisseur, Trustee and Benefactor, raised gifts for a small endowment for this purpose.

Fifteen of the works were painted by Frank O. Salisbury (1874–1962), one of the most popular English portrait painters of the twentieth century.

Photographs of a number of the paintings have been reproduced in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, and citations are given in the catalog as appropriate.

The Avery Art and Publication Fund enabled the Society to acquire portraits and publish high quality illustrations in the Record for over fifty years.

The NYG&B has sponsored the publication of a number of books, including New York church, probate, and naturalization records.

Each county guide features a map, list of current and historic place names organized by city and town, a description of local repositories, and a bibliography of key printed and online sources.