Building Your Own Basic Genealogy Library
Genealogical Authorities and Resources to Back You Up
Sep 24, 2008
If mouse clicking has tired you out and two hours in the recliner are enticing, then why not assemble your notes and questions and reach for some off-the-shelf resources.
First, Select Categories Relevant to Your Ancestral Profile
If one set of great-grandparents came from Poland and another set was part of the mid 19th century influx of Irish émigrés, your needs will differ from someone with multi-generational New England ancestry, or those of another genealogist rooted in the deep South. The following categories apply to most, but not all, family researchers.
How-to Guides and Manuals
- Greenwood, Val D.Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy, third edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2000. If you only do one book in this category, this one is tops.
- Jacobus, Donald L. Genealogy as Pastime and Profession. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1986. This is the master sharing his expertise.
- Szucs, Loretta D. and Sandra H. Luebking, The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. rev. ed. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1997. This comprehensive guide covers major U.S. record sources, plus some special research areas.
Record Descriptions
- Arends, Marthe. Genealogy Software Guide. Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., 1998.
- Everton Publishers, Inc. Handybook for Genealogists. (eighth edition). Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, 1991. Includes state and migration route maps, plus listings for each state, county or parish, with information about its records of interest to genealogists.
- Hoffman, Marian. Genealogical & Local Books in Print. fifth edition, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997. This is a four-volume catalog of privately and commercially published books on genealogy and local history.
- Neagles, James C. U.S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal & State Sources. Salt Lake City, Ancestry, 1994.
Locality Guides
- Bently, Elizabeth Petty. County Courthouse Book. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995. It provides contact info for each county, with information about probate, land, naturalization and vital records, plus services available at the courthouse.
- Kemp, Thomas Jay. International Vital Records Handbook (third edition). Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1994. A guide for obtaining copies of birth, marriage and death certificates.
Ethnic Groups
This category includes reference books, lists of immigrants, etc., for American Indian, Scottish, Irish, Italian, German and other groupings of ancestors. To see which pertain to you, check either Cyndi’s List online or the genealogy section of a major library.
Honing Your Skills
- Arends, Marthe. Genealogy Software Guide. Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., 1998.
- Drake, Paul. What Did They Mean by That? A Dictionary of Historical Terms for Genealogists. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1994.
- McClure, Rhonda. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2000.
- Stevenson, Noel C. Genealogical Evidence: A Guide to the Standard of Proof Relating to Pedigrees, Ancestry, Heirship and Family History. Laguna Hills, Calif.: Aegean Park Press, 1989.
Indices and Actual Records
Your area of research will determine your needs in this area, but if your American ancestry is in New England, or goes back to the colonial era, here are three wonderful collections available on CD. Call them the icing on the cake!
- 20 volumes of the New England Historic and Genealogical Register
- Vols. 1-85 of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly
- Periodical Source Index (PERSI); a subject index of genealogy and local history periodicals.
Many of these titles are available as used books from online booksellers. Shop with your browser.
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