Getting Hands On Help with Genealogy

[lupaglupa]

I love helping folks who show up on CivilWarTalk looking for help with a question about their Civil War ancestor. I find doing genealogy research fascinating even when it's not my own family. But helping folks long distance can be a challenge at times. And since we tend to limit our assistance to Civil War related searches, we don't get to solve every puzzle.

So - if you have been wishing you could get the <ahem> excellent help you get here on CWT in person and for all of your family research challenges, I have a tip for you. Go to the library.

I feel confident in saying that every public library in the USA has a collection of books on genealogy. Most libraries have at least one staff member who is trained in helping patrons do genealogy research. Many public libraries hold classes in researching your ancestors. Some have special work sessions where you can get expert advice. And if your local library is too small to offer all of this, look to a nearby large town or city. Some universities provide this service too.

Having a person look at your files and notes and respond to you in person can be very helpful in getting past blocks in your research. Who knows? They may solve the problem even our team of crack researchers couldn't manage. Probably not, but it's worth trying.

 

[Library Lady]

The services @lupaglupa mentions are usually free, and you may not even need to have a library card to access them. That being said, September is library card sign up month, and if you don't have a card at your local library, then you really should get one.

 

[lupaglupa]

I almost tagged you @Library Lady - I figured you'd give the "I approve this message" reply.

 

[Library Lady]

Yeah, I just can't help myself. I feel the overwhelming need to plug libraries and library services every chance I get.