How Your Local Library Can Provide Clues To Your Ancestry
December 1st, 2008

Joining the world of genealogy research can be quite exciting at times. At other times, though, it can be confusing and difficult. It can be hard to locate sources of information about your family; it can also be hard to figure out who is related to whom. Starting your genealogy research can be a difficult and daunting task. With so many resources at your fingertips, it can be difficult to decide where to start your research. One of the best places to begin your genealogy research, though, is your local library.

There are a number of different reasons to rely on your local library for the beginnings of your genealogy research. The first reason, though, is that they have trained personnel who can help you find what you are looking for. Working on your family history involves more research than you have probably ever completed in your life. In most cases, the research you will be working with is not simple research, either. It is both complex and tedious. This is one reason to rely on your local librarians for help. Most have degrees in library science, so they know where to find the information you are looking for. Moreover, many librarians deal with hundreds of people each day, so it is possible that they have helped others with the same difficulties you are experiencing. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that they have already looked through the copies of the 1890 census information ten times in the past month. As a result, they might be able to give you a leg up on where to find some of the information you require.

Another reason to work with your local library in the beginning stages of your research is because over the past hundred years or so, they have been accumulating material to help you with your research. Everything from local newspapers to programs from important town events might be contained in your library's archives. In fact, many libraries have a special genealogy section to help you with your research. Most compile thousands of family histories, so you can cross reference your own work. Many have census data dating back to 1790 on a federal, state, and county level. Many also have city directories dating back to the time the city you live in was founded. Moreover, if you live near a port of entry into the United States, it is likely that your local library has passenger lists of vehicles carrying immigrants. Some local libraries even index military records of local veterans.

Even if your local library has very little accumulated material or if your family history does not begin in the town you currently reside in, your local library will have online databases to help you with your research. Most of these databases are only accessible from your library, not from your home computer. Many of them also have some pretty extensive instructions which your local library can help you sort through as you begin to use them.

As you begin your library sources, there are a few things you should consider. First, you will want to rely mostly on primary sources. A primary source is any document that contains first-hand information. For example, your great-grandfather's military record would be a primary source. Similarly, the 1890 census that lists your great-great aunt would also be considered a primary source. However, this will not always be possible with genealogy research. As a result, you should evaluate your secondary sources carefully. You must decide how accurate the information contained within might be. For example, if you are looking at an autobiography written by the mine owner in a small Kentucky town, you might be given a very different view of the working conditions your grandfather was dealing with than if you took your information from some letters he wrote to your grandmother at the time he was working. The accuracy of either source, though, can be doubtable at times. Both sources can have wrong dates, and both can list wrong countries of origin. If you end up being seriously stuck, sometimes it is best to consult a professional genealogist for help, as they have run up against the same problems you have many times over

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