Preparing To Do Research in a Major Genealogy Library

Presented 17 April 2004 for the Tulsa Genealogical Society

By Barbara Becker Meehan, CGRS^SM, FTGS and Janice Meridith, FTGS

Where Are Major Libraries?

· Ask Around

Tulsa Genealogical Society

Genealogy Community

TGS County Connection (coming soon!)

§ Internet resources

§ Print resources

Internet Sources

§ Cyndi’s List of Libraries & Archives

§ FamilyTree Magazine’s Libraries List

§ FamilySearch™ Research Outlines

§ Google (popular search engine)

Printed Sources

§ American Library Directory (annually)

§ Handybook for Genealogists (2002)

§ Genealogist’s Address Book (1999)

§ Printed Sources (1998)

§ Ancestry’s Red Book (1992)

Additional Reading

§ FamilyTree Magazine’s website articles

• “Your Virtual Library Card” by Rick Crume

• “Five Places to Find a Published Genealogy” and

• “More Places to Look for Published Genealogies” by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack

Preparation

logistics, noun.

§ 1a. the art of planning and carrying out military movement, evacuation, and supply.

§ b. the planning and carrying out of any complex or large-scale operation or activity.

From World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia, 2003 Ed., Version 7.1.1, 2002 World Book, Inc. and its licensors.

Learning About the Facility

§ Potential sources:

• Books

• Research guides

• Magazine articles

• Online articles

• Internet

• Mail / Phone / Fax

• National conferences

§ Consider which you will trust most

Information Gathering

A Library’s Web Site

§ About Us

§ Directions/Map

§ Hours/Closings

§ Upcoming events/classes

§ Research policies

§ Rules/permissions

Getting There

§ Facility-furnished information

• Nearby accommodations

• Nearby restaurants

§ Community marketing information

• Interested in entertainment?

• Nearby distractions?

Local Transportation

§ Will you need a rental car?

§ Where will you park?

§ How late would a free shuttle run?

§ Would you feel safe walking?

§ Will you need cash? tokens? pass?

§ What about rush hour traffic?

§ What about access to food?

Complying With the Rules

§ Briefcases?

§ Pens?

§ Laptops?

§ Cell phones?

§ Food & drink?

§ Digital cameras?

§ Books re-shelved?

Being Prepared

§ Researcher identification required?

§ Where could you get a copy card?

§ When should you make photocopies? or use readers?

§ When can you call for materials?

§ Might some services be unavailable?

§ Computer time limit? sign-up?

§ Readers by assignment? time limit?

Should They Be Expecting You?

§ E-mail, call or write with questions, only if needed.

§ Request special materials early.

§ Plan your visit for when key librarians will be in and available.

Planning the Research

§ About the collections

§ Research guides

§ Online catalog

Browser Tips & Tricks

§ Back - Forward - Stop - Refresh - Home

§ Address

§ Toolbar

Favorites - Tips & Tricks

USING Your Browser

§ Do you want to save your place?

§ Minimize/Maximize

§ Note where a link will take you

§ Links of a different color

Guest Computing

§ E-mail

§ Downloads

Some Key Online Catalogs

§ Family History Library Catalog

• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ FamilySearch™ site

§ National Genealogical Society

• Lending library of over 20,000 items, housed at the St. Louis County Library

§ Mid-Continent Public Library, Independence, Missouri

• Lending Library of 5,000 volumes

• Online catalogs of microform materials (these do not loan)

Cyndi’s List

§ Cyndi’s List of Libraries and Archives

• http://www.cyndislist.com/lib-state.htm

Libdex

§ Search on place, name or keyword

FamilyTreeMagazine.com

Linkpendium.com

§ Search by state

§ Search by county

FamilySearch™

§ Family History Library Catalog

§ Many privately-published genealogy books have been donated to the Family History Library

WorldCat

· http://www.tulsalibrary.org/

· Use Tulsa City-County Library card

o Access in the library

o Access from home

o Find out whether a book exists

o Find our which libraries own the book you want

Janice Recommends

§ Links to select major genealogy libraries

NARA Facilities

http://www.archives.gov/facilities/index.html

Family History Library

American Antiquarian Society

http://www.americanantiquarian.org

Allen County Public Library (Genealogy)

http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/index.html

The Library of Congress

Daughters of American Revolution Library

http://www.dar.org/natsociety/default.cfm

Bancroft Library, Berkeley

Newberry Library, Chicago

http://www.newberry.org/nl/newberryhome.html

Samford University Library, Birmingham

New England Historic Genealogical Society

http://www.nehgs.org/libraries/main

Cyndi’s List for State Libraries/Archives

http://www.cyndislist.com/lib-state.htm

Clayton Library, Houston

http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/clayton

Bibliography

Allen County Public Library, Genealogy Department. PERiodical Source Index. [also known as PERSI] Fort Wayne, Ind.: Allen County Public Library Foundation, 1986-1997 [g] A CD-ROM version has been published for later editions, by Ancestry 2000 [t]. The database is currently available by paid subscription through Ancestry.com, as well as online as part of the TCCL’s HeritageQuest Online subscription at the Genealogy Center.

American Library Directory. New Providence, N.J.: R. R. Bowker, annual. [r]

Bentley, Elizabeth Petty. The Genealogist’s Address Book. 4th Ed. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1999. [g]

Eichholz, Alice, ed. Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County & Town Sources, Rev. ed. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1992. [c, g, t]

Family History Library, Research Outlines: [one for each state or for the United States]. Salt Lake City: Family History Library. [g] Available for use or purchase at Family History Centers, or online at www.familysearch.org.

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives. Washington, DC: National Archives Trust Fund Board, 1983 [c, g, t]; 2000 [g].

The Handybook For Genealogists. 10th ed. Draper, UT: The Everton Publishers, 2002. [*, g, t (9th Ed)]

Kaminkow, Marion J. Genealogies in the Library of Congress: A Bibliography. Baltimore: Magna Carta Book Co., 1972. [g, t]

_____. A Complement to Genealogies in the Library of Congress. Baltimore: Magna Carta Book Co., 1981.[g]

Kovacs, Diane K.. Genealogical Research on the Web. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2002. [c]

McClure, Rhonda R. Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Genealogy. 2nd ed. Indianapolis: Alpha, c2002. [c]

Meyerink, Kory L., ed. Appendix B, “Major U.S. Genealogical Libraries,” Printed Sources. A Guide to Published Genealogical Records. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1998, pp 789-794.[g]

National Archives and Records Administration. Military Service Records. A Select Catalog of NARA Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives Trust Fund Borad, 1985. [g, t]

National Union Catalog. 754 vols. London: Mansell, 1968-81. Pre-1956 imprints, with supplementary series for 1956-67, 1968-72, and 1973-77. [r]

Porter, Pamela Boyer and Amy Johnson Crow. Online Roots. Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press, 2003. [c]

Szucs, Loretto Dennis and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, The Archives: A Guide to the National Archives Field Branches. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1988 [c, g, t (on CD-ROM)].

Thackery, David T., “Bibliographies and Catalogs,” In Printed Sources. A Guide to Published Genealogical Records. edited by Kory L. Meyerink, pp 176-191. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1998. [g]

Warren, Paula Stuart and James W. Your Guide to the Family History Library. How to Access the Worldís Largest Genealogy Resource. Cincinnati: Betterway Books, 2001. [g, t]

Notes regarding availability of various editions of these materials:

c In the circulating collection of the Tulsa City-County Library System.

g In the non-circulating genealogy collection of the Tulsa City-County Library System, at the Genealogy Center.

r Part of the reference collection of the Tulsa City-County Library System; non-circulating, but available at various branches.

t Part of the collection at the Tulsa Genealogical Society Library.

* Now available in a later edition