Use these research strategies for ancestry and genealogy research in historical societies and libraries.
Research Strategies for Societies and Libraries
Societies and libraries collect books, manuscripts, reference files, maps, newspapers, photographs, and all other items of historical value. The following outlines steps that help search these resources to unlock and find your family’s history and genealogy.
Consult handbooks on genealogical research
Handbooks on genealogical research offer both beginning and advanced genealogists instruction, advice, and helpful information. Topics covered by these books include getting started, types of records to consult, research in other states and foreign countries, and record keeping. Of particular value are those reference books focused on research in the locale of your interest. Look under the headings such as “Genealogy-Handbooks, Manuals” and other similar headings.
Check genealogy surname card files
This physical or online card file is arranged alphabetically by surname and contains references to births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths. These cards were compiled from newspapers printed before 1850, books, journals, church records, and other sources.
Search family history files and published biographies and genealogies. Family history files contain unpublished notes and charts on lineages specific to the state, region, or locality and are compiled by other genealogists.
Published genealogies are part of the library’s book collection and are listed by author, title, and family name in the book catalog. Books giving information on more than one family are cross-refer¬enced under all the crucial surnames.
Biographical encyclopedias, often published during the nineteenth century to flatter prominent business people and politicians, also contain valuable genealogical information.
Checkbooks on state and local history
A wealth of genealogical information is contained in state and local history books.
Search journals and periodicals
Often bits and pieces of family history can be found in articles in historical and genealogical journals. These are inbound volumes on the library shelves, sometimes microfilmed or put online. A name index often appears at the end of each volume. Thousands of local, county, regional, state and national periodicals are currently published. Finding specific geographic and surname data may, at first, appear daunting. The following are several good and reliable sources.
WorldCat—WorldCat is a catalog of the holdings of thousands of libraries worldwide. Many of these libraries have cataloged their periodical holdings, and WorldCat can be searched by family name or geographic location. Other things you can do on WorldCat include the following:
- Search many libraries at once for an item and then locate it in a library nearby
- Find books, music, and videos to check out
- Find research articles and digital items (like audiobooks) that can be directly viewed or downloaded
- Link to “Ask a Librarian” and other services at your library
- Please post your review of an item, or contribute factual information about it
The Periodical Source Index, or PERSI, is the most significant subject index to genealogical and historical periodical articles globally and is widely recognized as a vital source for genealogical researchers.
Although PERSI does not index every name in periodical articles, it is the most comprehensive of the indexes to American genealogical periodicals. Beginning and experienced researchers should make full use of this reference tool. Researchers can use PERSI to locate references to personal names and locality records. If articles of interest are located, the researcher may request a photocopy of them through inter-library loan or obtain a copy for a fee by contacting the Allen County Public Library Foundation (P.O. Box 2270, Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270) or another library that holds the periodicals of interest. A form is available online for requesting copies of articles.
Regional Indexes—Check if the state or region you are focusing on publishes indexes, such as the Virginia Historical Index or the Worcester Area Union List of Serials (WAULS) in Massachusetts.
Trace footnotes and endnotes
Tracing footnote and endnote means using footnotes or endnotes found in books or articles to identify other relevant material. Using footnotes to locate materials often provide a citation to a specific primary source within a more extensive collection. Sometimes citations even offer commentary on the cited work. Finally, the use of the material in a scholarly work provides a way of judging the usefulness of the material.
Search source material
Source collections include books, manuscripts, reference files, maps, newspapers, and photographs on all aspects of history and people. Not all of the collections are indexed or reproduced online. Contact the library or archive for research assistance if you don’t find what you are looking for. What follows is a detailed overview of the type of source material you can expect to find in your discovery of societies and libraries and definitions of what these terms mean.
Archives
Archives are usually unpublished, primary source material that documents the activities of an individual or organization. These unique materials are preserved in an archival setting because the information contained therein has enduring value or provides evidence of the role and activities of the individual or organization that created them. Archival materials that document an individual’s activities are often referred to as manuscripts.
Archivist
The archivist is a title used to describe a person who may be responsible for managing archival and manuscript collections. An archivist’s job may include appraising, acquiring, arranging, describing, preserving, and providing access to primary sources. By carrying out these activities, archivists serve to protect the authenticity and context of the materials in their care. An archivist is often the best person to approach for in-depth information about the collections they oversee. The terms archivist and curator are often used interchangeably. Archivists may also have additional descriptors in their titles to explain specific areas of responsibility. For example, the University Archivist is the person who cares for the permanent records of the university. A project archivist has been hired to work in a concentrated subject area or on a specific collection.
Finding aids
Finding aids are tools that assist researchers in locating items in a unique collection. A finding aid can be as simple as a listing of folders (often called an inventory or preliminary inventory) or as intricate as a complex document that places special collections materials in context by consolidating information about the collection (such as history or biographical notes and a description of the arrangement of the collection).
Manuscripts
Manuscripts are usually unpublished, primary source material documenting an individual’s activities. These unique materials are preserved in an archival setting because the information contained therein has enduring value or because they provide evidence of the role and activities of the individual. In modern usage, the term archives can also refer to the papers of an individual, and personal papers is another term used to describe manuscript material. In the broad sense, a manuscript can refer to any unpublished document, and MSS is a common abbreviation for manuscripts.
Primary sources
Primary sources are usually defined as accounts or artifacts generated by an eyewitness or participant in events. Interpretation and evaluation of these primary sources become the basis for historical narrative. Evaluating whether something can be used as a primary source depends on proximity to the source and the questions asked.
Proximity to the source
Ideally, the best source material comes from a person or process that is closest in time or proximity to the event, person or place under study. Usually, the creator of this type of primary source is an eyewitness who left a record for personal or procedural purposes. The reliability of sources declines as one gets farther away in time and proximity.
Questions asked
Determining whether a source is a primary source often depends on the researcher’s questions.
Rare books
Rare books are usually old or unusual and considered valuable due to their unique qualities. An old book is not necessarily considered a rare book.
Secondary sources
Secondary sources are wholly removed in proximity from the actual event, person, or place but seek to provide an interpretation based on primary sources. There is a continuum from primary to secondary sources, and many sources show elements of both.
Special collections
Special collections have characteristics that set them apart from other collections in libraries. These particular aspects may include the following:
- Rarity: books, manuscripts, and other materials that are old, scarce, or unique.
- Format: photographs, slides, films, audio recordings, maps, artworks, artifacts, and other objects that need special handling.
- Comprehensiveness: accumulation of materials that individually are not unique but collectively make up an essential resource because of their relevance to a particular topic or individual.
These characteristics also mean that special collections are not readily replaceable and require higher security and special preservation to ensure their survival. In contrast to museum collections assembled for visual display, special collections focus on research as their primary mission. Thus, they complement general research collections and are often located in institutions that house both kinds of collections.
Here are a few more tips on how to further your research using libraries, societies, and archives:
Research other libraries
Become aware of all the state, region, and local area resources that might have collections for you to research. By simply asking the society and library reference staff, you will be able to secure a list of resources to consult for your research.
Make your research available to others
Societies and libraries are glad to accept gifts of published books and notes and charts relating to research on families from their locale. You can help future researchers by donating copies of your work.
Talk to scholars or other experts
Talking to people who have already done work in your field of interest is another way of locating relevant primary sources. Within their area of specialization, experts are likely to be familiar with a majority of the material written about a given topic and the significant collections of primary sources that support their research.
As a researcher, you will find many experts on local and regional research topics. These individuals will help you locate and find material. I have had experiences where local experts have been the key to unlocking doors. For example, I was searching in one town for an ancestor’s land. While searching for the property and gravesite, I was referred to a local historian that lived in a remote area. After finding the historian, he took me directly to the property and gravesite, which was little more than a field with stones on edge for the headstones. Upon inviting me back to his home, he answered vital questions I had been searching for. He also had several rare books of local history and genealogies out of print for more than seventy-five years that he allowed me to photograph digitally. I couldn’t have found any of this precious information without his help.
Another experience I had with experts is also worth sharing here. I made an appointment with a county historical society several weeks before my arrival and corresponded via email about my research priorities. Upon arrival, I found that the staff had pulled multiple books in their library and had the information I was seeking already marked. They had also set out several “family” vertical files on surnames and topics related to my search. This particular society had on duty a member of the society knowledgeable about my particular area of the county, who answered my questions and had suggestions of other areas I should research and people with whom I should speak. The society also had a seventeen-page, unpublished, extensively documented historical society research paper on forming a specific church and congregation that my ancestors helped form. The efforts of these local experts saved me hours of research and years of searching for information that was only known to the local experts. An expert can also be other professors, historians, or authors of a book or article on a specific topic.
Talk to librarians, curators, and archivists
Most librarians, curators, and archivists are very knowledgeable about the subject areas related to their collections. They often know of similar collections in other institutions or people doing similar work. They are also the best source for information about materials in their repository that may not be listed in a library catalog, website, or finding aid.
Where to Find Genealogical and Historical Libraries and Societies
Where can I find lists of genealogical libraries and societies in the United States? The following matrix is a listing of the best genealogical and historical libraries and societies in each state. Click on the state and you will be taken to the article that contains the listing of genealogical and historical libraries, societies, and archives for that state.
What does each state’s listing of genealogical libraries and societies include? As this article was being researched, it became apparent that lists and links to genealogy and historical societies, libraries, and archives are scattered throughout the web. None of the resources are complete, yet all must be reviewed to ensure you have not overlooked a possible source. For each state, I will provide the resources for the following categories:
- Statewide Resources
- University Archives and Collections
- Public Library and Community Resources and Archives
- Historical Society and Special Interest Resources and Archives
- Finding State Digital Resources and Collections
- Digital Library Collections
- Historical and Genealogical Society Online Web Pages
While I have sought to provide you with a detailed compilation, I know I have missed some resources. If you don’t find what you’re seeking, I suggest you contact the library or society nearest your place of interest and see if they can help you locate resources that may not be online but can be contacted via other means.
