Genealogy is one of the most popular hobbies in worldwide, and is heavily
researched in public libraries and historical repositories. Increasingly, major
genealogy resources are available online at libraries through subscription
databases or free on the internet. As a result, librarians face the overwhelming
task of helping a large audience of genealogists cope with an ever growing flood
of new resources. This book offers novice and experienced reference librarians
an introduction to tried-and-true genealogy techniques and resources.
With the help of four case studies, Simpson outlines a basic starting
strategy for conducting genealogy research. Later chapters deal specifically
with genealogical librarianship: how to conduct a reference interview,
continuing and professional development, and basic resources every collection
should have. Charts, screen shots, and examples of public documents are also
included; while a series of appendices present the case studies in their
entirety.
Please note: this a US published book, and as such, has references and
examples which are US related only (ie. SSDI and PERSI). Please note the greater
part of the book includes concepts that are useful, and can be applied to
research in any country.
Contents:
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter 1: First Steps in Genealogy Research
- Getting Organized
- Talking to Family Members
Chapter 2: Census Basics
- Why Start with the Census?
- What is the Census?
- How is the Census Takes?
- What was Recorded on the Census?
- Census Research Strategy
Chapter 3: Advanced Census Research
- Common Problems
- Solutions for Common Problems
- Advanced Census Resources
Chapter 4: Researching Vital Records
- Death Records
- Marriage Records
- Birth Records
- Locating Vital Records Using Indexes
- Obtaining Vital Records from Repositories
- Social Security Death Index (SSDI)
Chapter 5: Basic Published Sources
- Newspapers and Obituaries
- City Directories
- Local Histories
- Published Family Histories
- Genealogical Periodicals and Periodical Source Index (PERSI)
Chapter 6: Basic Archival Sources
- Church Records
- Cemetery Records
- Military Records
Chapter 7: Immigration Records
- Preliminary Research
- Passenger Lists
- Naturalization Records
- Immigration Research: Three Case Studies
Chapter 8: Ethnic Records and International Records
- Ethnic Research in the United States
- International Research
- Ethnic Challenges and Strategies
- African-American and Native American Research
Chapter 9: Using the Internet
- Free Sources on the Internet
- Web 2.0 and Genealogy
- Subscription Sites
Chapter 10: Resources of the Family History Library
- History of the Library
- What the Library Holds
- Searching the Library Collection
- Borrowing Microfilm
- Online Databases
- Future Projects
Chapter 11: The National Archives and Other Repositories
- The National Archives
- Specialized Libraries and Research Institutions
Chapter 12: The Genealogy Reference Interview
- Approaches of Patrons to Research
- Using the Four Basic Steps
- Common Researcher Mistakes
- Difficult Cases
Chapter 13: Professional Toolkit
- Resources for Professional Development
- More than Twenty Great Reference Books
Appendix A: Simpson Case Study
Appendix B: Winter Case Study
Appendix C: Coleman Young Case Study
Appendix D: Kubrick Case Study
