A: U.S. RECORDS 1: Records   2: Location, Maps, Geo   3: Regions / States   4: Timelines & Histories  |   B: VITAL RECORDS   1: Vital Rec.   2: Birth   3: Adoption   4: Marriage   5: Death, Obits   6: Cemetery  |   C: CENSUS   1: Records   2: By Decades  |   D: IMMIGRATION   1: Records   2: Passenger / Nat.   3: Other   4: Migration  |   E: MILITARY   1: Records   2: By Conflict  |   F: OTHER RECORDS   1: Religious   2: Land, Probate, Tax   3: Court   4: News.   5: Arch. / Lib.   6: Help   7: Misc.           KB    Translation Tips    Music      Print Friendly and PDF











United States


Goal F5: Archives and Libraries

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Partners:  FamilySearch   Ancestry   Findmypast   MyHeritage  |  Websites:   FS Wiki      GenealogyLinks



Goal F5: Access U.S. archives and libraries for record resources.


Archives and libraries have vast collections of records you can access.



(23:10)

ChoicesVault


A Learn about U.S. archives and libraries.


  1. Introduction: Learn about archives and libraries in these articles.

    FS—U.S. Archives and Libraries
    JT: How Do We Find Records in an Archive? - 2018

  2. Explore FamilySearch links for U.S. libraries and repositories.
  3. Learn how to tap the genealogy resources available in public libraries.

    AAC—Public Libraries: Mining Untapped Genealogy Resources—Video series

  4. Library of Congress: Learn about resources available at the Library of Congress.

    BYU—Genealogy at the Library of Congress—45:38 - 2017   



    BYU—The Library of Congress: A Treasure for Genealogy—56:15 - 2023



  5. DPLA: Learn about free resources at the Digital Public Library of America.

    FHD: How To Quickly Find Free Genealogy Records Through the Digital Public Library of America - 2018
    AJC—A Growing Source for Free Genealogy: The Digital Public Library of America—45:38 - 2016



  6. Archives: Learn how to access records at the National Archives and Regional Centers.

    GC—National Archives and Regional Centers
    LT—Genealogy Research at NARA: Top 5 Tips from Professional Genealogists

  7. Learn how to access a variety of archive records online.

    BYU—Locating Records in Archives from Your Couch—62:30 - 2020   


  8. Heritage Museums: Learn about research that can be done at heritage museums.

    FTM—9 Tips to Research at Heritage Museums

  9. Special Collections: Learn about accessing special collections and manuscripts.

    LT—Using University Special Collections for Family History Research
    RT—Using Manuscript Collections—54:40 - 2023




Visits
  1. Visit libraries or archives to do research.

    FS—Libraries and Archives—25:09

  2. Learn about the advantages of using local libraries and archives.

    FHD—Why Local Libraries and Archives Are Still Vital to Your Research - 2023

  3. Tips: Here are some tips for improving your experience with library visits.

    AJC—6 Ways to Have a Better Library Visit - 2019
    TH—How to Use Libraries and Archives for Research - 2019

  4. Learn about important things you should do before leaving a library or archive.

    RT—10 Things a Genealogist Should Do Before Leaving a Library or Archives—59:49 - 2023




WorldCat and ArchiveGrid
  1. Watch this video to learn about using WorldCat.

    BYU—Using WorldCat—5:45 - 2014


  2. Here is an introduction to WorldCat tools.

    APL—Introduction to WorldCat Tools—41:37 - 2021



  3. Learn more about researching with ArchiveGrid in this article and video.

    FHD—How to Locate Any Offline Genealogy Record in 1 Minute - 2018.
    FHF—Unleashing the Power of ArchiveGrid for Genealogy Research—10:52 - 2023

  4. Explore the ArchiveGrid site to locate archives in each U.S. state.

Exercises


B (Optional) If possible, visit the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.


  1. Tips: Here are some tips for a successful visit to the library.

    FL: Ten Steps to Success

  2. Learn about the purposes and features of the library.

    FamilySearch Library Highlight—1:42 - 2023

  3. This video highlights visitor experiences at the library.

    Tour the Updated Family History Library—32:44 - 2021





C Access free genealogical books online.

Vault
  1. About: Learn about digital books for genealogists.

    BYU—Digital Books for Genealogists—53:00 - 2016   


    JT—Finding Genealogically Relevant eBooks Online - 2018

  2. Book Loan: Learn about the National Genealogical Society Book Loan Collection.

    NGS Book Loan Collection—30:48 - 2011

  3. Free Books: Learn more about finding free family history books.

    FHD—Here's How to Find Tens of Thousands of Family History Books for Free - 2021

  4. Google Books: Learn about using Google Books for family history research.

    GTV: Google Books for Family History—4:51 - 2019



  5. Internet Archive: Learn how to do genealogy research using the Internet Archive.

    BYU: Using the Internet Archive for Serious Genealogical Research—50:11 - 2022



  6. Learn more about researching with the Internet Archive in these videos.

    APL—Research with Internet Archive—45:54 - 2020


    RT—Navigating the Internet Archive—23:20 - 2021



  7. Explore the Internet Archive for free books and media resources on genealogy. .

Search
  1. Explore United States repositories to learn about finding books for research.
  2. Find free books on Google, using "genealogy" as the search term.
  3. Explore free books online on the GenGateway site.
  4. Explore the Books We Own site for books that can be checked out or researched for you by others.
  5. Explore the HathiTrust collection of manuscripts and documents for research.

Exercises

D Learn more about working with archive records.


  1. Learn how to find archive records where they "don't belong."

    Finding Records Where They Don't Belong - 2019

  2. Learn about researching in manuscript collections.

    Researching in Manuscript Collections - 2019

  3. Find genealogy photos in archives.

    Finding Unidentified Photographs in the Archives - 2019
    Finding Photographs in an Archives

  4. Learn about the genealogy books you may find in archives.

    Archives Have Genealogy Books! - 2019

  5. Learn about finding and using scrap excerpts and loose materials in archives.

    Scrap Paper in the Archives - 2019
    MH—Loose Records: A Treasure Trove for Genealogists - 2023

  6. Learn about materials that may be available in vertical files and file folders.

    Vertical Files...What Are They? - 2019
    Archival File Folders: A Genealogists Best Friend - 2019

  7. Learn more about vertical files in this MyHeritage Wiki article.

    MH Wiki—Vertical Files Collections


E Use periodicals to find research clues.


Vault Summary
  1. Read this article for more information on using magazines and journals for research.

    GC—Magazines and Journals

  2. PERSI: Learn about using the PERSI (Periodical Source Index).

    LDS—PERSI
    FS—Using PERSI for Genealogical Success - 2016

  3. Go in-depth with PERSI in this video by the Allen County Public Library.

    APL—Ask the Experts: PERSI—61:12 - 2022



  4. Here are tips on finding indexed PERSI articles.

    FMP: The latest image and index update for PERSI
    FMP: Tips and Tricks for Searching PERSI Like a Pro

  5. Learn how to find articles in PERSI about the area where you are doing research.

    APL—Finding Periodical Articles about Your Geographic Area of Interest Using PERSI—67:19 - 2022



  6. Explore the PERSI catalog on Findmypast.
Exercises