Books for Genealogy?

Books? Use books to do genealogy?

It’s an old concept, but despite frequent reminders, beginners and experienced alike often forget not everything for finding family history is online and not all that is online is easily found.

So it was a delight to hear one of our Local History volunteers – one who has attended several of our “how to” genealogy classes where books are mentioned and sometimes displayed – exclaim as she helped with relocating some materials the other day – “I didn’t know that was here. I need to come back in and look at these books.”

And next day she did come back and look through them, apparently finding some new information.

Volunteers now helping with some changes to the collection are LuAnn Scott and Lisa Gentry.

The library’s genealogy and local history-hunting classes are off for the summer but those interested in getting started on their family history or in tackling some of the research problems they have encountered are welcome to come on in! If you want to be sure the Local History Specialist is in on a particular day, call ahead, 812-522-3412 ext 256.

Among the books that can help with some things not in all cases online are those related to Ohio and in particular restored Hamilton County marriage records (the courthouse really did burn – three times between 1814 and 1884, according to the Genealogical Society there) and various other Cincinnati and Hamilton County government and church records. German settlers weren’t the only ones who stopped in the Queen City on their way to Jackson County and other points west.

All 2000 pages of Gateway to the West – excerpted from Ohio newspapers – also are on the shelf … or you can search the full text of the books online without charge on Google Books, then come into the library to look for more – again without charge.

Information is … where you find it!