[Genealib] Genealogy questions asked at the reference desk

[William Blohm]

Connie Kuntz-Thorsen wrote:

> Would you be able to share questions commonly asked about genealogy at 
> the reference desk?
>
The most common I receive are:
When and where was my ancestor born/married/buried?
Where did my ancestor live (meaning street address or farm property)?
Where did my ancestor go when he/she disappeared?

> Do you have any books/websites/etc. that you constantly recommend?
>
The Librarians Serving Genealogists website has a good basic collection 
of books:
http://nosferatu.cas.usf.edu/lis/genealib/reference.html
although the list has not been updated in two years, and a number of the 
titles have newer editions now.
I also recommend:
Croom, Emily Anne. Unpuzzling Your Past. (Cincinnati, Ohio: Betterway 
Books, 2001) and
Renick, Barbara. Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family's History and 
Heritage. (Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press, 2003) as the best beginner's 
books.

For websites, see our library's genealogy portal:
http://gailb2000/local/resources/refhistory.html#genealogy

Also, access to digitized or microfilm of local newspapers as far back 
as they exist is almost essential.

> Any obscure sources? I’d like to give them questions to help them 
> discover what they may be faced with as reference librarians dealing 
> with genealogy.
>
Obscure sources tend to be best for answering obscure genealogy 
questions, i.e. more advanced questions.
I like to recommend bibliographies of local history and military unit 
history. County plat maps, topographic maps, and current and historic 
maps of Europe are also useful. BTW, I like to recommend www.mappy.com 
for finding existing European villages; it's rather similar to Mapquest.

William R. Blohm   Reference Librarian & Collection Development Manager
Gail Borden Public Library District, 270 N. Grove Ave.
Elgin, IL  60120