Allen County Public Library Digital Collections

An interesting article on JournalGazette.net, entitled, "Fiction lovers, history buffs go digital at library," provides a review of digital holdings at the Allen County Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. While many of the services offered are available to local patrons only, the genealogy section has material available to everyone. Under the heading Popular Picks, the article explains the digitizing effort and resources available.

"The non-profit Internet Archive scans the materials and hosts the Web site, which draws about 1 million visitors a month," according to genealogy manager Curt Witcher. At present nearly 8,000 title are listed.

"Currently the most popular download is the '"Yorkshire Marriage Registers, West Riding, Vol. 2" from 1914. Internet patrons have downloaded the text more than 3,300 times," library spokeswoman Cheryl Ferverda said. Options for viewing the book are in the lef-column.

Marriage records are important resources for genealogists, but library officials aren’t sure why that volume is so popular, she said."

The Allen County Libarary is a great resource for genealogists, long known for its Periodical Source Index (PERSI). 

Genealogical Summer Reading 2009

In the mood for a summer read? In her article, "Genealogical Summer Reading 2009," Gena Philibert-Ortega brings into focus a variety of genealogy-related works covering a range of topics from the murder mystery to an exploration of the LDS penchant for genealogy. Surely, something for everyone.

Using Googe in Your Genealogy, Part 2

I remember a time when I was working in the software industry and Alta Vista was my search engine of choice; then came the new kid on the block with the funny name, Google. Since then, Google has become a powerhouse, and lest you doubt her theme that "Google is more than a search engine," you will be convinced in reading Gena Philibert-Ortega's second article, "Using Google in Your Genealogy, Part 2." Google offers some scaled down and user friendly tools that can help researchers, regardless of computer skills or Internet savvy, in addition to its continuing effort bring more resources online, in particular, out-of-print books, and to create easier access to online resources. This is not to disparage other search engines and tools, which are also growing and have their place in the research community.

Genealogy books - accessing valuable but scattered family information

Genealogy books is a broad term, but referring to books that contain specific information that might be of benefit to your own research, gaining access to a particular book can be a challenge. "The problem with purchasing all of the books out there with bits and pieces of your family history in them is that you will need a fat wallet and a large area of book shelves. Most of us can check out an occasional book and copy the necessary pages, but most can not travel to every appropriate library in the nation which holds certain books." In his article "Genealogy Books in Print and Online," Alan Smith suggests avenues for accessing books you may not necessarily want to buy.

How to find those long sought-after books

Found Aunt Doris in a county history book? Want to own a copy of that book for future reference or just as a keepsake? In her article, "Finding Rare Genealogical and Historical Books," Gena Philibert-Ortega suggests a number web sites to help you find a copy of that treasured book, in addition to some tips and hints for evaluating books and finding one in your price range.

Review of The National Genealogical Society

Most researchers are well aware of the National Genealogical Society and its contributions to the field. Some may not be aware of the early history and many services offered by the Society. In his article, "The National Genealogical Society," Alan Smith provides a brief history of its beginnings and holdings today, in addition to a review of its educational offerings.

Canadian research books online

Digitized newspapers and books are a great boon to genealogy, and more and more such resources are being put online. A recent article in Nova Scotia's Amherst Citizen, "Finding treasure in digitized books," discusses the difficulty of building a personal library and finding the right books, and suggests a useful resource for Canadian local histories. Our Roots, Canada’s Local Histories (http://www.ourroots.ca/) is an on-line library of Canadian history books. Although limited by copyright, availability and funding, the library is well stocked. Thousands of English and French titles are available. Each book listed on the web site has been digitized. In other words, every page of each book has been scanned or photographed. The pages can be viewed and printed. In a brief survey of the site, I was able to view the scanned images at no charge.

What evil lurks in the minds of men . . .

It had to be so . . . a new genre of mystery writing has emerged with a genealogy theme. No longer are published genealogies, family histories, or family-history-based historical fiction the "only" outlet for the genealogical muse. Genealogy has long been associated with detective work and the solving of mysteries. Now the genealogy slueth has become the protagonist, utilizing his or her research skills to solve mysteries of the living, rather than the dead. In her article, "Genealogy Fiction," Gena Philibert-Ortego introduces us to some her favorite reads, suggesting we take a break from "the practice," to read the exploits of a fictional alter ego. Entertaining and fun.