Improving
Your Online Search Strategies
by
Carolyn Ginther, Retired Librarian,
and Marilyn Toole, Genealogy Instructor and Lecturer
10 Sept. 2009
Lib. of Cong. and
Fam.Search (LDS)
By Carolyn Ginther
IN ALL WEBSITE RESEARCH,
CAREFULLY READ & ANALYZE EVERY
PAGE.
USEFUL
WEBSITES:
Library of
Congressʼ Local History & Genealogy Reading Room tips: http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/tips.
html http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/
Library of Congress Online
Catalog: htpp://catalog.loc.gov/ Strongly
suggest
starting
with the “Help Pages”
Library of Congress Global Gateway: http://international.loc.gov/intldl/intldlhome.html
source for info. on various countries,
compiled by
LOC country/history specialists. (We did not have time to look at this
but
worth exploring.)
Introduction
to the LIbrary of
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
suggest
starting with lesson 1 or 2 AND
3 http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/Education/fr...
Strongly
suggest for downloadable research guidance on:
Historical Background of
country, state, county, etc.
Changing
political boundaries
Foreign
Language Terminology & Helps (including letter writing)
Calendar
Variations with tips on interpretations
Improving Your ANCESTRY Search Strategies
Marilyn
Toole
1.
Searching for census records:
First, pick a census year, then
type in JUST
THE SURNAME, county where living, state. If nothing shows up, and you
are sure
they were there during that enumeration, consider that the last name
was most
likely MIS-INDEXED. (You can make the correction when the correct page
shows up
under COMMENTS.)
If
you can't find the head of house, (or your direct ancestor), look for
the
siblings or other household members. Or close neighbors if you know
them from
previous enumerations.
You
do not need to enter a SURNAME in the SEARCH box. Enter other relevant
information such as birth
date (always use + - 1-2 years), where born, etc. Especially useful for
people
immigrating from other countries. Example: Looking for Jane
Wheeler in 1910 census:
Jane
(living
in)
b.
1849
This
search will yield these results: (you must first sign in on your
account to see this
page; or sign in at your local library's main page under "databases:
Ancestry")
http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&rank=0&gsfn=Jane&gsln=&sx=&f7=NY&f9=Dutchess&f10=&f18__n=&f20=England&rg_81004011__date=&rs_81004011__date=2&f23=&f17=Female&f16=White&rg_f19__date=&rs_f19__date=0&_8000C002=&f21=&_80008002=&f22=&_80018002=&gskw=&prox=1&db=1910uscenindex&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&pcat=35&fh=6&h=145733700&recoff=1+13+25
As
you can see, the last name was mis-read so therefore mis-indexed. Make
the
correction.
If you get too MANY hits, start
ADDING information on the search page.
If
you get TOO FEW hits, start deleting information on the search page.
To
use wildcards, on Ancestry you must type in the first three letters of
the
name, such as WHE* for Wheeler. If that doesn't work, consider
searching by
FIRST NAMES ONLY. (you can also use SOUNDEX, but it may take longer)
2.
When looking
for information in RECORDS, don't use the Main Search Page on Ancestry.
(It's a little like looking for a recipe for Apple Brown Betty without
picking a cookbook to look in in a library) Go to the
Ancestry
CARD FILE and find the Database Title box. Of course, we usually don't
know the
exact
name of the record, so fill in the Keyword part. For example, Red Hook,
3. On
Ancestry's Main Search page, make sure you include searches on all the
top
tabs so
that your search includes family trees, stories and publications, and
photos
and maps. (Ancestry's Trees are not available on public library
databases)
Be
sure to check EACH entry for EACH person in EACH census, including
address, and
also scroll back and forward ten pages to see if this family had any
relatives
living nearby.
If the
enumerator's handwriting is not clear, become familiar with it. Spend
some time reading it and it will slowly become more legible.