Connecticut Archives and Libraries

The following archives, libraries, and societies have major collections or services helpful to genealogical researchers.

Connecticut State Library 231 Capitol Avenue Hartford, CT 06106 Telephone: 860-566-4301 Fax: 860-566-8940 Internet: http://www.cslib.org/

A helpful inventory of this library is Connecticut State Library, Guide to Archives in the Connecticut State Library, Third Edition. (Hartford, Connecticut: Connecticut State Library, 1981; FHL book 974.6 A1 No. 30).

National Archives—Northeast Region (Boston) 380 Trapelo Road Waltham, MA 02154 Telephone: 617-647-8100 Fax: 617-647-8460 Internet: http://www.archives.gov/northeast/boston/

National Archives—Northeast Region (Pittsfield) 10 Conte Drive Pittsfield, MA 01201-8230 Telephone: 413-236-3600 Fax: 413-236-3609 Internet: http://www.archives.gov/northeast/pittsfield/

Connecticut Ancestry Society, Inc. P.O. Box 249 Stamford, CT 06904-0249 Internet: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ctcas/

Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Inc. P.O. Box 435 2106 Main Street Glastonbury, CT 06033-0435 Telephone: 860-569-0002 Internet: http://csginc.org/

Connecticut Historical Society 1 Elizabeth Street Hartford, CT 06105 Telephone: 860-236-5621 Fax: 860-236-2664 Internet: http://www.chs.org/

New England Historic Genealogical Society 101 Newbury Street Boston, MA 02116-3007 Telephone: 617-536-5740 Fax: 617-536-7307 Internet: http://www.newenglandancestors.org/

Overview of Connecticut genealoigcal Resources
A useful guide to the published and original records of Connecticut is Connecticut Researcher's Handbook by Thomas Jay Kemp (Detroit, MI: Gale, 1981. 755p.). (FHL book 974.6 D23k).

Computer Networks and Bulletin Boards
Computers with modems can be useful tools for obtaining information from selected archives and libraries. In a way, computer networks themselves serve as a library. The Internet, certain computer bulletin boards, and commercial on-line services help family history researchers:


 * Locate other researchers
 * Post queries
 * Send and receive e-mail
 * Search large databases
 * Search computer libraries
 * Join in computer chat and lecture sessions

You can find computerized research tips and information about ancestors from Connecticut in a variety of sources at local, state, national, and international levels. The list of sources is growing rapidly. Most of the information is available at no cost.

Addresses on the Internet change frequently. As of April 1997, the following sites are important gateways linking you to many more network and bulletin board sites:

USGenWeb
http://www.usgenweb.com/

A cooperative effort by many volunteers to list genealogical databases, libraries, bulletin boards, and other resources available on the Internet for each county, state, and country.

Roots-L
http://www.rootsweb.com/roots-l/usa/

A useful list of sites and resources. Includes a large, regularly-updated research coordination list.

For further details about using computer networks, bulletin boards, and news groups for family history research, see the United States Research Outline (30972), 2nd ed., "Archives and Libraries" section.

FamilySearch™
The Family History Library and Family History Centers have computers with FamilySearch™. FamilySearch is a collection of computer files containing several million names. FamilySearch is a good place to begin your research. Some of the records come from compiled sources; some have been automated from original sources.