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Cheryl Lang, MLS

What makes a Genealogy Librarian?

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Largest free-standing public genealogy library in the United States

52,000 square feet Over 100,000 print

volumes; +20K circulating 2,000 Periodical titles Microforms Map collection Online databases 12,000 visitors per month

Write down everything you know about your parents, grandparents, important events, etc.

Use full names including the maiden names of all women Spell out the name of months and use four digit years

(e.g. 6 June 1911) Write surnames in capital letters (e.g. SMITH, John

David) Cite your sources Get organized!

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Include: ◦ Title ◦ Author ◦ Copyright date ◦ Publisher ◦ Edition number ◦ Page numbers ◦ Location of resource (what institution?)

Copy or scan the title and copyright pages

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Primary ◦ Original documents ◦ Written by those who experienced the event directly ◦ An original source of information

Secondary ◦ Information originally presented elsewhere ◦ Recorded by those who heard from other sources,

often at a different time or location ◦ Information for which the author has no personal

knowledge

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Birth/death certificates ◦When did the state start keeping records? ◦When did the county begin keeping records? ◦ Is the information in the record reliable? ◦Has the city/county name changed? ◦ Are there digital copies online?

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State Department of Health County Courthouse City/county health department Newspapers Social security records Online With family

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Name

City/County Date of death Date of birth Birthplace Spouse/parents Cause of death Location of

death Informant

Example: Tyler Williams of Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, wrote a will in 1828. He left property to: Wife, Elizabeth – dower rights during her lifetime Son, Edmund T. – $1,000, a desk, and book case Son, Esik H. - $1,000 and an 8-day clock Daughters Jane and Mary - $700 each Son, George, $1,000 at interest and a gold watch

Directed Executors to sell the remainder of his lands and to pay debts

In most cases you must know the county

When did the county begin keeping records?

Types of records: ◦ Marriage records ◦ Marriage license ◦ Marriage applications ◦ Marriage returns ◦ Marriage bonds

County courthouses

Newspapers Books ◦ City/county/family

histories Online indexes Digital images Family records Census records Pension records

Federal, state, and special census records ◦ First Federal census in 1790 ◦ The census is taken every ten years ◦ 1790-1840 (limited information) ◦ 1850-2010 ◦ 1890 census destroyed ◦ State census typically in years with fives (e.g.

1925) ◦ Also slave census records, Native American

records, and agricultural census records

Everyone in the household is listed Relationships are not given Age Race Sex Marital status Place of birth Occupation

Names of everyone in the household Relationship to the head of the house Age Sex Marital status Race Place of birth of person and of parents Occupation

99% of the records were destroyed

Bits and pieces survive

Different format than other census records

Everyone in household is listed Lists their relationship to the head of the house Name Sex Race Age Marital status/number of years married/age at

first marriage Occupation Place of birth of person and parents Year of immigration & citizenship status

Home owned or rented? Is household on a farm? Residence as of April 1, 1935 Employment status of persons over 14 years

of age Income in 1939 Supplementary questions Social security number-yes or no? Veteran service ◦ If child, is father alive or deceased?

Language spoken in home (native tongue)

Microfilm (Midwest Genealogy Center/National

Archives)-does not include the 1940 census

Ancestry/Ancestry Library Edition

Heritage Quest

FamilySearch

Transcriptions in books

Scattered census images on free sites

Reference Interview ◦ Just beginning? ◦ Looking for a specific item? ◦ What resources do you have at your

library? ◦ What online resources can help your

patron?

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Family Tree Magazine Midwest Genealogy Center

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Birth Marriage Education Military Service Civic Activities Employment Real Estate/Land Ownership

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Siblings, Parents Aunts, Uncles, Cousins Grandparents, Great-Grandparents

Birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates Church records Military records School records Employment records Wills, probate, land records Family Bibles Baby books Photographs Old letters

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Record family stories

Flesh out those names, dates, and places

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Ancestry ($) HeritageQuest Family History Library RootsWeb USGenWeb Cyndi’s List

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Comprehensive Searches

Library Websites Databases Military Websites

Government Websites Ethnic Websites Blogs Miscellaneous Websites

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Cyndi’s List Linkpendium Family History Library & Labs RootsWeb USGenWeb Google, Yahoo, et al.

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Midwest Genealogy Center Allen County Genealogy Center Kansas City Public Library Local public libraries

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Ancestry ($) Heritage Quest ($) America’s GenealogyBank ($) Many, many more!

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Veteran’s Gravesite Locator Civil War Soldiers & Sailors Daughters of the American Revolution National Personnel Records Center

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National Archives & Records Administration Bureau of Land Management Library of Congress State Archives Missouri Digital Heritage

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Pennsylvania Newspaper Project Missouri Newspapers Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection

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African-American oAfrigeneas oLarge Slaveholders

Jewish oJewishgen

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Irish oIrish Church Records oIrish Roots oIreland’s1901 & 1911 Census

Scottish oGeneral Register Office oScotland’s People

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Eastman’s Online Newsletter GenealogyInTime.com Family Tree Magazine’s Top 40 Blogs

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Find A Grave & Interment.net Passenger Lists

oCastle Garden oEllis Island oSteve Morse

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Jackson County Land Deeds and Marriages R. B. Hayes Ohio Obituaries Adoption Records by State

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Conclusion

Questions?

mymcpl.org

October 2013 47

Cheryl Lang, MLS

clang@mymcpl.org