Genealogy

Commercials for the largest subscription database indicate that the process of genealogy is simple-you just "plug in" what you know, and the database does the rest! Those ads might sell subscriptions, but they are misleading. Getting beyond that "low-hanging fruit" is not so easy; collecting the records and data needed to delineate a family tree accurately requires time, organization, and informed searching. Records are available from many places, and finding them is never a "one-stop shopping" experience. So how does the new researcher identify which resources meet his or her specific research needs? And how can libraries and librarians best help this new generation of genealogists? Genealogy: A Practical Guide for Librarians meets that need in three critical ways: First, librarians can use this book to learn what resources, both print and online, their library should offer their patron base. This means not only what monographs and serials to purchase and subscription databases to maintain, but what web sites to highlight at the library's web page, what to include in their online tutorials, what adult education programming is appropriate, and how to use social media to highlight library holdings and services. Critical assessments of each print and online resource described are given, including the strengths and weaknesses that librarians need to help patrons understand. Second, this book is a reference source for answering questions and expediting information requests is a "how to" index at the back, facilitating quick-and-easy consultation on specific topics such as "How to find U.S. census records" and "How to obtain copies of military records." And third, they can use this book to become better informed about the phenomenon of genealogy itself, and about the latest standards for online searching and research. The book includes practical advice for every public-service librarian about essential free and subscription sources of online information, and offers every researcher, from novice level to experienced, a clearly delineated context for the popular subject of family history research.