Genealogy Chat

For Rachel The LDS centres can co-operate in this way but I doubt whether record offices can. In my experience they have limited numbers of microfiche and so could not lend one out. CB

Sue i'll join your promotion service, then there will be two of us at least :) I love my local library...ok it is the central leanding library of Edinburgh but its been a great help so far and i've only just scratched the surface nor have i asked for any help yet. Just been having a nosy myself. Other libraries i have got in touch with (all in Scotland) have always been very helpful and willing. I always recommend them to people looking for newspaper reports, info on houses, work places ect and so far all i've heard back is good reports, from all over the country. If there is a certain piece of info you are looking for try emailing the local studies portion of the library with all the info you have and what you hope to find. If they have it they will let you know, if they dont then they will probably tell you who to get in touch with. I love libraries :) The information is free as well (unless you want a print out) which is always a bonus. Mhairi

Just wondering - is it possible for a record office to request information from another record office for you (eg parish records)? Regards Rachel

I was thinking more of the 'can you tell me if there were any munition factories here?' type question. The library is probably also the best source of early photos or pictures. For family tree info it is internet, visit your nearest LDS centre (films of parish registers etc) or record offices. CB

Great if your family came from the same area. i live in Kent but came from SE London and both sides of my family tree came from Essex and one side from Germany. I have been to local center and looked at some records of one part of the family that did come to Kent but other than that the Libraries don't have the info I need.and i was greeted with obvious disinterest when i made some enquiries as to what they could get for me. Probably the better source of info for outside your immediate area is the local branch of the Mormon church , they will get in any parish records for you for £3.50 .and , they are SO helpful. Shirley

Looked in a mirror lately ??!!?? lol CB

My local library treats people who ask about genealogical matters as though they have two heads.......at least! Reg

Clive mentions Richmond and I must agree - their customer service is exemplary! I often pop in during my lunchbreak and they don't just point you to the records, they help with your research whether you've asked them to or not!!!

I'm beginning to feel like a one woman promotion service for libraries here! However, libraries have a great system of borrowing between areas so a library in Cornwall will borrow a book from Aberdeen for a customer or even from the British Library. There will probably be a small charge but still cheaper than buying said book - only drawback you need to know what book you want which is where the internet comes in useful....Sue Just to add to that for our overseas friends - I've seen books borrowed from other countries in this way although it can take a while!

I had excellent material and support from Richmond without ever leaving Hampshire. CB

I agree the library is a great resource and I have been many times but if you are like me & 90% of your rellies come from Scotland or Ireland then information is limited. Georgina.

Surely the same applies - go and talk to your local librarian. explain your interests and I bet you'll be surprised at what's available to you. With genealogy being so popular now there's countless books on the subject and if you're in a country with a lot of UK immgrants then there will probably plenty of material around to satisfy the demand. It's worth a look! Sue

And don't you think that going to the library and hunting through records and books is so much more satisfying than just sitting at home with a pc - don't get me wrong the internet is a wondrous thing and I wouldn't be without it but a book.... I recently a found a photo - in a book- of a row of houses (long demolished) in Bethnal Green where several of my ancestors had lived and I am so excited my husband is getting fed up with me going on about it! Long live the hard copy! Sue

Thanks. Yes I was really getting at some of the people who claim to be desperate for information but expect GR to provide all the answers. Heather often says Google but google does not always provide. A few seconds of thought plus may be a trip to the library would provide the answer - and give background to what was a worsted rover or iron puddler or what ever! Live talk to a librarian might also help people think of how to rephrase their question so as to find the required information. That said I have to admit to have always been a 'looker-upper' ! CB

Quite right Clive! Can I add that lots of local libraries offer free access to Ancestry, have micro fiche readers and sometimes local IGI records too. Not to mention the local history books and staff to help you access it and yes I do work for the local library! Sue

Most of us are accustomed to waiting for certificates from GRO. Why are we so insistent on instant answers for everything else? Many people will have at least two, and in many cases more, libraries as sources of information. Your local county library (reference section) has vast resources usually covering quite long time spans. Places of higher education also have reference libraries and so do universities. You, the tax payer, pay for them. Why not use them? It is not that long since there was no internet and we had to use the libraries! CB