

   GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS



       Local History and Genealogy Reading Room

        Humanities and Social Sciences Division

                   Washington, 1996



HOW TO BEGIN   



     Welcome to the Library of Congress and to the Local

History and Genealogy Reading Room. The reading room is

open to adult researchers from 8:30 AM to 9:30 PM, Monday,

Wednesday and Thursday, and from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM on Friday

and Saturday.  It is closed on all major holidays. 

For a general description of Library policies and practices, 

see Information For Readers.



     Careful and systematic use of the genealogy

collections of the Library of Congress, one of the

world's largest and most complex libraries, should help

you retrieve the information which may be available about

the history of your family. Reference librarians are

available to assist you in your search.



     To compile your family history is to establish a

paper trail from yourself backward in time as far as you

can go. This trail will consist of documents that tell of

events and activities in your ancestors' lives. Ideally,

your first step is to obtain information on doing

genealogical research. Most public libraries and large

bookstores usually have good introductory books on

research methods. These will tell in detail what records

to look for, where to search for them, and what kind of

information you can expect to find in a given record

and/or repository.



     Your next step may be to interview all the older

relatives you can find and write down what they say,

bearing in mind that family traditions become distorted

with time, and you will need to verify what you hear.

Documents such as land records, wills, baptismal records,

and certificates of birth, death, and marriage pinpoint

an ancestor in place and time, and often give information

that will tell you where to look for similar

documentation on the preceding generation. 



     For example, your parent's birth certificate may

indicate where and when the parent was born and the names

of his/her parents (your grandparents). This in turn may

suggest where, and for what approximate time period, you

can begin your search for your grandparents' marriage

records. These records in turn may provide information on

the previous generation, and so on, as far back as the

records have been kept. 



     When these records are lacking you may be able to

fill in the gaps with other sources, such as family

Bibles, obituaries, interviews with relatives, or

published information in compiled family histories or

genealogical periodicals. Most vital records and other

primary sources are available only at the state or local

level, in town records and county clerks' offices, and

for this reason a library may not be the best place to

begin your research.



LIBRARY RESOURCES



     Some individuals and societies have published vital

records in book form, and whenever you are in a library

it is a good idea to determine if it has any published

records for the areas in which your ancestors lived. Once

you have traced your family back several generations you

will have many family names that are relevant to your

research, and it is usually at this point that a

library's genealogical collection becomes most useful.

Following are types of materials at the Library of

Congress and at other libraries that may prove useful at

the beginning of your research as well as when the search

is further advanced.



1. Guides and Manuals:



     BOOKS which explain how to do genealogical

     research. These can save you much time and expense.



     MANUALS on research for a particular ethnic group



     GUIDES to vital records for United States states

     and counties, and for many foreign countries



     DIRECTORIES of addresses of historical and

     genealogical societies



     INDEXES to genealogical periodicals. 



2. United States City Directories:



     If you know that an ancestor lived in a particular

city, you may find his or her address and sometimes

profession and name of spouse in these directories. Check

with a reference librarian to identify and locate

directories in the Library of Congress. 



3. Published Census Records and Indexes



     Federal population census schedules are at the

National Archives and Records Administration, located on

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, between 7th and 9th Streets. The

Library has only published census materials--the 1790

census, indexes, and selected published abstracts for

individual counties. Check with a reference librarian to

identify and locate published census records in the

Library of Congress. 



4. Published Genealogies and Town and County Histories



     Published genealogies reflect the work on a given

family which has been researched and compiled; published

local histories provide useful background information,

and in some cases clues to new directions for research. 



5. The FamilySearch on CD-ROM



     FamilySearch is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter

Day Saints' automated system of family history

information. Consult with a reference librarian for

information on its use.







RESOURCES IN THE LOCAL HISTORY & GENEALOGY READING ROOM



                     CARD CATALOGS



     FAMILY NAME INDEX (White labels)



How to search: Family Name of interest



     This catalog is a card index to the published

genealogies in the Library of Congress. Entries generally

are determined by family names found on the title page

(usually no more than three), although many cards for

other family names have been added. Some additional

access for works published or cataloged between 1968 and

1980 may be provided through the Library's Computer

Catalog. For works cataloged by the Library since 1980

the Computer Catalog must be searched. All genealogies in

the Family Name Index are shelved in the stacks and

should be ordered by filling out call slips and

submitting them at the Book Service Desk located near the

catalogs.



     ANALYZED SURNAME INDEX (Green labels)



How to search: Family name of interest



     This catalog began as a detailed index to selected

genealogies published until about 1910. It was expanded

later to include the biographical sketches found in

approximately 350 county histories. At present very few

books are being analyzed and represented in this catalog.

The Analyzed Surname Index was always selective rather

than comprehensive, and was never intended to cover every

genealogy and/or county history. The last drawer of this

index, labeled "Local Histories Indexed," identifies the

county histories which are covered. Note: Call numbers

found in this index should be verified in the Family Name

Index (CS call numbers), or the Local History Shelflist

(F call numbers), or the "Local Histories Indexed"

drawer.



     COATS OF ARMS INDEX (White labels)



How to search: Family name of interest



     The Coats of Arms Index provides a guide to

illustrations of coats of arms found in books and

periodicals in the Library's collections. It covers

primarily English and American sources. This catalog

should be used in conjunction with two book indexes,

Hanns Jager-Sunstenau's General-Index zu den

Siebmacherschen Wappenbuchern, 1605-1961 (CR1179.S5J3

LH&G DESK) and the St.Louis Public Library's Heraldry

Index, 4 v. (Z5312.S25 1980LH&G). 



     This latter work is found on the shelves opposite

the reference desk. Siebmacher's Wappenbuch covers both

noble and non-noble families in all German-speaking areas

of central and eastern Europe; the Heraldry Index lists

over 100,000 coats of arms found in approximately 800

works.



     U.S. BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX (Pink labels)



How to search: Family name of interest



     This card catalog, which has no recent entries,

provides an index to at least one history for each state

and to a few regional histories. It differs from the

other card catalogs in that an individual's name (Smith,

John) rather than a broad heading (Smith family) appears.

The first drawer, labeled "Books Indexed," identifies the

histories which are indexed. Note: Call numbers found in

this index should be verified in the Local History

Shelflist (F call numbers) or in the "Books Indexed"

drawer.



     U.S. LOCAL HISTORY SHELFLIST (White labels)



     The cards in this catalog are arranged numerically,

just as the books are found on the shelves, from F1 to

F1000. This approach is by subject and includes all those

books in the Library of Congress collection which deal

with local history of the states (of the United States)

and their subdivisions (the towns, cities, counties, and

regions). A large white chart, Guide to Materials in

United States Local History, is located to the right of

the card catalog. This chart gives the range of call

numbers assigned to each state as well as the number

within that range for each of eleven specific subject

areas. If you encounter difficulty in finding a

particular state or region, ask a reference librarian for

assistance. Note: This catalog covers only those books

classified as U.S. local history (class F); many books of

a legal, religious, or social nature, which may be of

value to genealogical or local history researchers, are

classified elsewhere and can be found by using the Main

Card Catalog and/or the Computer Catalog.



                   COMPUTER CATALOG



     Researchers attempting to locate material cataloged

by the Library since 1980 must use the Computer Catalog.

Instructions for its use are found at the reading room

terminals. For additional information or help, or to sign

up for classes in the use of the Library's Computer

Catalog, consult a reference librarian.



           GENEALOGICAL INDEXES IN BOOK FORM



     Several important published indexes to genealogical

materials are located on bookshelves and consulting

tables in the catalog area of the Local History and

Genealogy Reading Room. The following titles are

included:



     Barrow's The Genealogist's Guide

     Crowther's Surname Index to Sixty-five Volumes of

          Colonial and Revolutionary Pedigrees

     Genealogical Periodical Index

     Jacobus'Index to Genealogical Periodicals

     Marshall's Genealogist's Guide

     Munsell's The American Genealogist

     Munsell's Index to American Genealogies

     New York Public Library's Book Catalog

     Newberry Library's Genealogical Index

     (PERSI) Periodical Source Index 

     Rider's American Genealogical-Biographical Index*

     Whitmore's Genealogical Guide



          *Consult a reference librarian if the

          description of the use of this index is not

          clear.



                     FINDING AIDS



     The reference staff of the Local History and

Genealogy Reading Room has prepared a number of

bibliographies and guides that are useful for

researchers. The following items are available in the

reading room: 



Guides for Genealogical Research

Surnames

Heraldry: A Selected List of References

Immigrant Arrivals: A Guide to Published Sources 

Afro-American Genealogical Research

Sources for Research in English Genealogy

Telephone and City Directories in the Library of Congress

Sources for Research in Welsh Genealogy

Sources for Research in Scottish Genealogy

Handbooks for Foreign Genealogical Research

A Select Bibliography of Works at the Library of Congress on

   Norwegian-American Immigration and Local History



     Finding aids for Danish, French, and Irish genealogical

research and a guide to genealogical periodicals in the Library

of Congress are in preparation.

     In addition, a bibliography entitled Generations

Past: A Selected List of Sources for Afro-American

Genealogical Research may be consulted in the reading

room.



PROCEDURES FOR RETRIEVING MATERIAL



     CALL SLIPS



Fill out one slip for each book, bound serial, or

directory to be requested from the stacks. 

Note: Any catalog card marked LH&G indicates material

that is in the reading room and a call slip is not

necessary for retrieval.



     WHAT TO DO NEXT



After you have filled out the call slip with information

from the catalog card or computer, select a vacant desk,

fill in the desk number and your name and address, and

submit the slip at the Book Service Desk. Be prepared to

show a photo identification or LC user card to the

attendant. 



Either the volume will be delivered to your desk or the

call slip will be returned with a report in the lower

right corner. If you are not using a desk, mark the slip

"Hold" and the book will be held under your name

throughout the day at the Book Service Desk. Books may

NOT be removed from the reading room.



     WHAT IF YOUR BOOK IS "NOT ON SHELF"?



Your call slip may be returned with a report that the

book is "not on shelf." There are many possible reasons

for this. First, double-check the call number and

bibliographic information for accuracy, completeness, and

legibility. You may want to consult a reference librarian

for assistance. To inquire further:



     1. Re-submit your slip, requesting a check of the

     Central Charge File (CCF). This will determine if

     the book is on loan (books having CS and F call

     numbers do not go out on loan), is in a reference

     collection, or is on microfilm. The staff will help

     you interpret the message you receive.



     2. Should the response from the CCF read "NC,"

     meaning no charge, you may take the slip to the

     Special Search Section in Alcove 1, Main Reading

     Room, where a search will be initiated.



     MAY BOOKS BE RESERVED?



You may reserve five books for three days by obtaining

yellow slips from the Book Service Desk, filling out and

inserting them in the books to be reserved, and shelving

them on the reading room's Three-day Reserve shelves. 



          Reference books may not be reserved.



     PHOTOCOPYING



Photocopying machines are located in the rear of the

Local History and Genealogy Reading Room. They can be

operated with coins or with a copy card which may be

purchased in the copy center, Alcove 8 of the Main

Reading Room, 1st floor, Jefferson Building.



ADDITIONAL RESOURCES



MANUSCRIPTS. Various manuscript collections which have

genealogical research value may be examined in the

Manuscript Reading Room, 1st floor, Madison Building.

Consult a reference librarian in the Local History and

Genealogy Reading Room for assistance in identifying

potentially useful manuscript materials. 



MAPS. The Geography and Map Reading Room, Basement,

Madison Building, has a collection of maps from all time

periods covering all geographic areas. Reference

assistance in determining geographic boundary changes is

also available.



MICROFORMS. Most microforms are viewed in the Microform

Reading Room, 1st floor, Thomas Jefferson Building.



NEWSPAPERS AND CURRENT PERIODICALS. The Library's

collection of newspapers in English and western European

languages, in hard copy and microform, is serviced in the

Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room, 1st floor,

(Room 133) Madison Building. Many periodicals published

within the past year are also available there.



RARE BOOKS AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS. The word "Office" or

"Toner" appearing on some catalog cards refers to the

Rare Book and Special Collections Reading Room, 2nd

floor, Thomas Jefferson Building.



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