Secret Library Sources

6 Secret Library Sources Most Amateur Genealogists Miss
By Chris Simeral

Much as we may like to sit in the comfort of our own home and conduct genealogy research online, if you’ve spent anytime at all looking into your family’s past, you probably know that at some stage in your research you'll need to use a library (no one said playing detective was easy). And if you really want to take your research to the next level, the library that will be the most valuable to you is the one in your ancestor’s hometown.

If you're lucky enough to live in the same county where your family has lived for several generations, you’re a step ahead of the game. With a short trip, you'll be able to access the records that your ancestors generated as they lived their daily lives. If you don’t live in the area, you may want to make plans to take a trip and spend several days if you want to get serious about your research.

Go to the library in the closest city or town where your family lived, and ask whether they have a genealogy section. Even if they don’t, they will have a local history section. In the genealogy section, you'll find individual published family histories, and much more published material that's related to families who lived in the region. In the local history section, you'll find books, leaflets, scrapbooks, photographs, manuscripts, and other local material that has been acquired by the library, usually by donation.

A Wealth of Information at Your Fingertips

Before you set off for your library visit, collect all the factual information you have on those family members who lived in the area: their names, the dates of their births, marriages and death.