RE: [Genealib] Genealogy questions asked at the reference desk

[Brannan, Joyce A.]

Geography questions

 

Learn to use gazetteers.  I like http://www.topozone.com/default.asp
even though only the basic searches are free.  

 

This summer we had someone come in, all hot and sweaty from a futile
search in the woods.  They asked, "Do you know where blah blah cemetery
is?  I know it is somewhere in this county.  It is a private cemetery
not used for the last 50 years."  I used topozone and had it
immediately.

 

You should have seen the look I got when I told a woman that there is a
town called West New York in New Jersey.  She had been researching her
family in western New York ( I forget why).  I suggested we try West New
York, New Jersey.  I just happened to have the vital records microfilm
roll on permanent loan at the Mormon family history center.  It took
less than 10 minutes to find her family.

 

Joyce Adams Brannan

Technical Services Librarian

Julia Tutwiler Library, Station 12

University of West Alabama

(205) 652-3677

jbrannan at uwa.edu

 

________________________________

From: genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu
[mailto:genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu] On Behalf Of Kenneth
Aitken
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 1:29 PM
To: Librarians Serving Genealogists
Subject: Re: [Genealib] Genealogy questions asked at the reference desk

 

The most common genealogy questions I handled were not the silly ones,
but GEOGRAPHIC ones.

What county is Havre Montana in now? Was that the same one in 1880?

Where in Europe is Banat?

Then come the address questiions like 
What's the address for the Clerk of the Court in Lumpkin County?

Then record questions like
Is there an 1885 state cenus for Minnesota? Which counties does it
cover. How can I access this?

And some others like 
Why are your county cemetery records in 929.5 and the histoies is
974...?


There are lots of analysis questions like:
I cannot find my family in the 1880 census on FamilySearch. What do I do
now?

Does that help? 
 



On 6/21/06, Brannan, Joyce A. <jbrannan at uwa.edu> wrote:

Just recently we had a woman come in and say her family reunion is in a
month.  She can only come at four on Fridays (when we close at 5).  She
had a reasonably good tree back to 1880, but wanted to go back at least 
before the civil war.  I found the family on the 1870 census and told
her that the gggrandmother's name had to be wrong unless she started
having children when she was only 9.  We found the family again in the
1860 census with a different mother.  When we couldn't find any vital or
church records, I she search the local cemeteries to try to find a
headstone for the correct gggrandmother.

Joyce Adams Brannan
Technical Services Librarian 
Julia Tutwiler Library, Station 12
University of West Alabama
(205) 652-3677
jbrannan at uwa.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu
[mailto:genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu] On Behalf Of Larry
Naukam
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 12:54 PM 
To: 'Librarians Serving Genealogists'
Subject: RE: [Genealib] Genealogy questions asked at the reference desk

In a light hearted vein, one of my favorites is: can I swing by and pick
it
up on the way to the reunion? 



Or



I'm double parked. I need it right away.

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-- 
Kenneth G. Aitken, MLS 
Family History Education Services
Regina, SK  Canada
kgaitken at gmail.com

Check out my blog! www.genealogy-education.com 

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