Friday, December 01, 2006

Your Guide to Using Archives for Genealogical Research

Working on a webpage for private manuscript sources necessitated doing one on using archives. Most genealogists are very proficient at using libraries, but some are hesitant to make full use of archives. They seem more daunting... and as I prepared this page, I could see why! But material in archives is getting more and more accessible and I hope this web page will help you renew your efforts to find material in archives.

Click on the header of this blog to see Your Guide to Using Archives for Genealogical Research.

Your Guide to Using Diaries, Letters, Personal Papers and Other Manuscript Sources

I got this site up today, in preparation for that talk I mentioned in my earlier blog. Researching this topic reminded me how much is out there...and how many ways there are to find that material. The web has provided a terrific boost to our ability to find manuscript sources, but as I worked on these pages I am reminded again at how much valuable information is in the print sources. Not only will the print sources guide you to information you may not find on the web, they also provide the information needed to make better use of the web. For example, if you use a print source to find diaries of interest to you, you can then search the web using some of the key words found in the description. The two sources.. print and web...simply enhance each other. Neither is best, neither is comprehensive.

Click on the heading of this blog to go to the website Your Guide to Using Diaries, Letters, Personal Papers and Other Manuscript Sources