providing genealogy research on a limited budget by jama watts reference & genealogy librarian...

Providing Genealogy Research on a Limited Budget

By

Jama Watts

Reference & Genealogy Librarian

Marion County Public Library

I Seek Dead People

What is Genealogy?

• a record or account of the ancestry and descent of a person, family, group, etc.

• the study of family ancestries and histories.• descent from an original form or progenitor; linea

ge;ancestry.

• Biology . a group of individuals or species having a common ancestry:  i.e. The various species of Darwin's finches form a closely knit genealogy.

What is Genealogy?

The fastest growing hobby in the

United States1.1 Foley-Mendelssohn, D. (2010, March 1). Why are Americans mad about genealogy? The New Yorker.

What is Genealogy?

What is Genealogy?Jama’s definition:

Dealing with a lot of dead people that don’t want to be found on behalf of the REALLY IMPATIENT

living.

Utilize online resourceskdl.kyvl.org - Kentuckiana Digital Librarykdla.ky.gov – KDLA (of course!)www.archives.gov – National Archiveswww.familysearch.org – Family Searchwww.findagrave.com – Find a Gravewww.usgenweb.org – US Genealogy Webwww.kygenweb.net – KY Genealogy Webwww.filsonhistorical.org – Filson Clubwww.cyndislist.com – Cyndi’s List

Don’t have room? No problem!

Kentuckiana Digital Libary

Offers over 70

historic Kentucky

newspapers, fully

searchable text.

Shows full scans

of newspaper

pages with

results

highlighted.

ALSO has

Sanborn maps,

books, images

and more.

KDLA

Links for

professional

researchers,

available

microfilm for

purchase, county

formation chart,

courthouse

disasters AND

electronic records

archives,

including

Confederate

Pension records

and Governor’s

Office website

archives.

National Archives

Offers OPA, the

Online Public Access

resource - the online

public portal to the

Archives’ records

and information

about the records.

Currently provides

access to nearly one

million electronic

records currently in

the Electronic

Records Archives

(ERA), which are not

available elsewhere

online. More

electronic records

from ERA will be

included in OPA in

the future.

Family Search

Run by The

Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-

Day Saints.

Fantastic

resource for free

records. Includes

much of the

information found

in their Salt Lake

City library.

Find-A-Grave

With content

submitted by

other

researchers, the

website contains

transcriptions of

headstones from

cemeteries

around the world.

Some entries

also contain

photographs of

headstones.

US Genealogy Web

Group of

volunteers

providing

genealogy

information for

free. Contains

links to each

state’s GenWeb

project. Also links

to Special Projects,

including a

Tombstone

Transcription

Project, Church

Records Project,

Lineage Project,

Kidz Project and

African American

Griots Project.

KY GenealogyWeb

The local version

of the US

GenWeb project,

divided by county.

There are orphan

counties, though -

Bell, Boyle,

Magoffin,

Martin, McLean

and Owsley

Counties are

available for

adoption.

Filson Club Historical Society

Full text articles

from the Filson

Club Quarterly

available for

printing. Also

includes the

Filson Blog,

updated weekly

with snippets

from the

collection.

Cyndi’s List

A fantastic

resource for

other genealogy

sites. Categories

are cross-

referenced and

alphabetized

(Cyndi likens it to

a card catalog for

the internet’s

genealogy

websites!). Cyndi

also maintains a

blog and mailing

list.

What popular website have I left off the list?

POP QUIZ!

Ancestry.com

Next Question:

How many of your libraries have an Ancestry.com account?

Ancestry.com

Next Question:

How many of your libraries have an Ancestry.com account?

NOT the Library Edition, JUST Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com

Next Question:

How many of your libraries have an Ancestry.com account?

NOT the Library Edition, JUST Ancestry.com

Did you know that you’re not supposed to do that?

Ancestry.com

I didn’t!

Fork over the money for the

Ancestry Library Edition.

It’s not cheap, but the search

is still similar to the personal

version, with an additional

3,000+ databases to search.

AND:

You can search using the

default settings shows, or

use:

Restrict to exact matches

and:

• Soundex matches

• Phonetic matches

• Names with similar meanings or spellings

But, if you can afford one thing:

Common search problems:

Depending on Soundex.

Common search problems:

Depending on Soundex. Spelling variants.

Common search problems:

Depending on Soundex. Spelling variants. Original spelling.

Common search problems:

Depending on Soundex. Spelling variants. Original spelling.Not knowing alternate surnames.

Common search problems:

Depending on Soundex. Spelling variants. Original spelling.Not knowing alternate surnames.Nicknames and middle names.

Common search problems:

Depending on Soundex. Spelling variants. Original spelling.Not knowing alternate surnames.Nicknames and middle names.Not narrowing the search enough.

Common search problems:

Depending on Soundex. Spelling variants. Original spelling.Not knowing alternate surnames.Nicknames and middle names.Not narrowing the search enough.Narrowing the search too much.

Common search problems:

Depending on Soundex. Spelling variants. Original spelling.Not knowing alternate surnames.Nicknames and middle names.Not narrowing the search enough.Narrowing the search too much.Focusing on one relative for too long.

Common search problems:

Depending on Soundex. Spelling variants. Original spelling.Not knowing alternate surnames.Nicknames and middle names.Not narrowing the search enough.Narrowing the search too much.Focusing on one relative for too long.Relying on your relatives’ stories.

Common search problems:

If You DO Have Room:

Might I suggest the following:

Have folks donate family trees.

Might I suggest the following:

Have folks donate family trees. Have folks donate manuscripts.

Might I suggest the following:

Have folks donate family trees. Have folks donate manuscripts.Acquire information on local history.

Might I suggest the following:

Have folks donate family trees. Have folks donate manuscripts.Acquire information on local history.Obtain yearbooks.

Might I suggest the following:

Have folks donate family trees. Have folks donate manuscripts.Acquire information on local history.Obtain yearbooks.Search online for (cheap) books!

Might I suggest the following:

Have folks donate family trees. Have folks donate manuscripts.Acquire information on local history.Obtain yearbooks.Search online for (cheap) books!Beg your way into the budget.

Might I suggest the following:

Have folks donate family trees. Have folks donate manuscripts.Acquire information on local history.Obtain yearbooks.Search online for (cheap) books!Beg your way into the budget.Partner with your local historical society.

Might I suggest the following:

Have folks donate family trees. Have folks donate manuscripts.Acquire information on local history.Obtain yearbooks.Search online for (cheap) books!Beg your way into the budget.Partner with your local historical society.Find the people who know.

Might I suggest the following:

Have folks donate family trees. Have folks donate manuscripts.Acquire information on local history.Obtain yearbooks.Search online for (cheap) books!Beg your way into the budget.Partner with your local historical society.Find the people who know.Consider microfilm.

Might I suggest the following:

Remember:

ASK QUESTIONS

Remember:

ASK QUESTIONSDon’t be afraid to say no

Remember:

ASK QUESTIONSDon’t be afraid to say noKeep it simple (stupid)

Remember:

ASK QUESTIONSDon’t be afraid to say noKeep it simple (stupid)Document EVERYTHING

Remember:

ASK QUESTIONSDon’t be afraid to say noKeep it simple (stupid)Document EVERYTHINGKentucky had MANY courthouse disasters

Remember:

ASK QUESTIONSDon’t be afraid to say noKeep it simple (stupid)Document EVERYTHINGKentucky had MANY courthouse disastersThere’s a reason they have professionals for

this

Remember:

ASK QUESTIONSDon’t be afraid to say noKeep it simple (stupid)Document EVERYTHINGKentucky had MANY courthouse disastersThere’s a reason they have professionals for

thisThere are moments that make it worth it

Remember:

ASK QUESTIONSDon’t be afraid to say noKeep it simple (stupid)Document EVERYTHINGKentucky had MANY courthouse disastersThere’s a reason they have professionals for

thisThere are moments that make it worth itThey’re dead – they’ll be there tomorrow.

Remember:

THANK YOU!Jama Watts

Marion County Public Library

Jama.Watts@marioncopublic.org

270.692.4698