User:AdkinsWH/Sandbox Closer to home access

United States  See also Obtain the Records and Principles of Family History Research

Making a copy of an original document or searching a set of records yourself is not always convenient. This page offers options for gaining access to far-away items within the United States.

Get a Copy
The closer you can get to an original document, the better. Originals usually contain important clues, that were missed or misread in indexes or transcripts.

This article provides options for obtaining the records through the Internet, through libraries and record holders, and through services. It is also a central listing of the many Wiki articles about the subject. See also Obtain the Records

Internet Resources
Millions of indexes and document images are added to the Internet every day. Some sites may be used free of charge and some ask you to subscribe ($) to search and view the indexes and/or images.

Popular sites for indexes or images

 * United States Historical Collections (Free) About 1 million images and index entries are added by FamilySearch each week.
 * Ancestry.com ($) Many libraries and archives subscribe as institutions, thus allowing their members or visitors to use this abundant site without a fee.
 * United States Online Genealogy Records has links to online collections for each state.
 * BYU-FHL Digital Book Collection (Free) Family and local histories from partner libraries throughout the United States.
 * Google books
 * Digital Public Library of America "... brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world." (2.4 million items, May 2013)

Sites for locating items in libraries or archives
(needs better heading)
 * WorldCat (Free)
 * Jstore

Government and University sites

 * National Archives
 * State Archives
 * Universities and Special Collections
 * State Libraries
 * Societies

Link-listing sites
(needs better heading) These sites scour the Internet for links to genealogy, history, and related items:


 * Linkpendium
 * Cyndislist

Social Media
Advantages of social media groups include: They may be willing to trade look-ups; they may have direct access or personal knowledge;
 * Genealogical community (cost trade off)
 * Forums
 * Facebook groups, etc.

Books, microfilm, other media
You may want to view the tutorial "Ancestors Season 1: Libraries and Archives" at the FamilySearch Learning Center.

Inter-library loan, etc.
Not everyone learned about ILL
 * Using the National Genealogical Society Book Loan Collection
 * ILL, WorldCat, Jstore, NGS, FSL, Mid-continent,
 * Jstore has just introduced -- adding more and more to free access; subscription -- put under online -- journals and index to journals most not available. Main window to access. subscription at FSL. See Jame's blog for articles.
 * Mid-Continent Public Library Midwest Genealogy Center
 * Allen County Public Library offers look-up and (periodical) article-copy services
 * Jstor per Wikipedia
 * National Genealogical Society Book Loan Collection Also links to look-ups and ill
 * Library of Congress -- needs it's own explanation Often digitized and sent to a library and read in the library.
 * Ordering Microfilm or Microfiche FHL
 * WorldCat Online Catalog
 * Interlibrary loan
 * Talk:Interlibrary loan
 * Obtain the Records
 * Talk:Obtain the Records
 * How to Obtain Books Listed in the Family History Library Catalog
 * United_States_Previous_Research
 * National Genealogical Society Book Loan Collection
 * Tennessee SLA interlibrary loan

Local Resources
There may be fees involved, including copy costs


 * Writing, emailing, calling, etc.
 * State archives microfilms to my library
 * Local libraries, societies
 * Government (county clerk, state VR, etc.)
 * Going there yourself
 * Societies Category page
 * Repositories Category page
 * Swedish American:Minnesota Historical Society
 * State Historical Society of North Dakota

Go there yourself

 * On-site Research in Poland
 * German Records: Research beyond vital records Archive research requires either being onsite or hiring an onsite researcher. Some archives will respond to requests to copy a specific file
 * Tracing Immigrants Origin Court Records You may have to hire on-site researchers to investigate foreign court records.
 * Plan a Research Trip to Wales
 * On-site Research in Poland
 * Research_Forms Repository checklist - Plan a research trip by recording details about the archive or library you intend to visit.
 * Allen_County_Public_Library
 * Principles of Family History Research For Further Reading Balhuizen, Anne Ross. Searching on Location: Planning a Research Trip. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1992. ;.

Search Services
"Look it up" vs. "Track it down"

Look ups
You are very involved in the research when you use look-up services. You will tell them everything:
 * The name(s) you want them to look up
 * The record to search and copy, such as "index to Deed Book B"
 * A short date range, such as "The Daily World, for death notices and obituaries from April 12–22, 1915"

This may be a two-step process to have them first send you the index, from which you decide which specific copies to order.

Record holders: Libraries, societies, archives, offices, private record holders Record searchers

Researchers
You are less involved when you use research services. Frequently, you will supply what you already know and what you want to learn.
 * Credentials from professional organizations
 * Professional organizations
 * Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG)
 * Association of Professional Genealogists (APG)
 * International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen


 * Referrals from libraries, societies, archives, friends


 * Hiring a Professional Researcher

Types of Records
with links to states topics? If so, then the list can be generated in Excel
 * Then by topics -- with links to states topics? If so, then the list can be generated in Excel

Family Records
Many families have stories or records that will help you. Bibles, photos, deeds, marriage certificates, wills, employment records, funeral programs, and much more may be stored in an attic, garage, or basement.

For ideas to access family records, see:
 * Gather Family Information
 * [How to find] Family Records
 * How to Preserve and Restore Family Records and Books
 * United States Genealogy

Land and Property

 * United_States,_Land_Transactions_Person_to_Person
 * Land Patent Search
 * Obtaining Online Legal Land Descriptions and Grantee Names

Newspapers

 * How to Obtain United States newspapers
 * Finding Microfilmed Newspapers Using WorldCat, nicely illustrated
 * United_States_Newspapers
 * United_States_Newspapers
 * Swedish American: Kansas Newspapers
 * Jewish Newspapers
 * Newspaper archives, LC Chronicling America, NewsBank,
 * State archives (UT, AZ, NV)
 * Local lib may look it up

To Categorize

 * United_States_Previous_Research
 * Canada_Previous_Research,_Part_1
 * Where to find it
 * United_States,_Histories_of_Towns,_Counties,_and_States
 * Canada_Census
 * Canada_Census
 * Swedish American: Minnesota Churches
 * United States, How to Find Family Histories
 * Nebraska Maps
 * Step 9. Obtain and search other records from Pacific Island Guide
 * Obtain and Search the Records
 * User:National Institute sandbox 18A Vicki Standings beginning. Don't know what it will be named when finished. Talks about ILL quite a bit. Some interesting views. Is this just copied or original with Vicki?
 * Denmark: Access Original Records Page name says "Orginal"