08/26/2004
-- Libraries & Card Catalogs
Today we are going to discuss getting better
acquainted with card catalogs and libraries. There is
a trend in family tree research today to rely solely
on the Internet. I can�t tell you the number of
e-mails I receive asking, �tell me where to find it on
the Internet� and when I reply you have to go to the
library, they get upset!
Many evenings, I go to Clayton Library after work and
whereas before you could not get a parking place and
there were waiting lines to get a microfilm reader or
make photocopies. One night last week, there were four
cars on the parking lot that did not belong to staff
members. With trends like this, all that is going to
happen is library staff and hours of operation will be
cut.
To get stared you need to become very familiar with
WorldCat. Many libraries are now members of WorldCat
(also known as OCLC and FirstSearch) electronic card
catalog.
What is WorldCat / FirstSearch? �Founded in 1967,
Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) is a nonprofit,
membership, computer library service and research
organization dedicated to the public purposes of
furthering access to the world's information and
reducing information costs. More than 50,000 libraries
in 84 countries and territories around the world use
OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend and
preserve library materials.�
That means you can search the electronic card catalog
for all these libraries around the world at one-time!
Ask your local librarian how to access this feature at
your library or while at home.
WorldCat is a key resource for genealogists. To
download a free 30-page �WorldCat for Genealogy
Tutorial� go to:
<
http://www.oclc.org/worldcat/genealogy/ .
Because WorldCat is a "super" catalog of more than 900
million library holdings representing 54 million items
held in libraries, you can reduce the number of places
you search to locate useful material. WorldCat
complements tools such as the LDS Family History
Library,
Ancestry.com and ProQuest's HeritageQuest.
WorldCat is apart of the TexShare Program through the
Texas State Library & Archives. Ask your local
librarian for the TexShare login ID and password that
have been assigned to your home library. Some
libraries may use a different method to identify you
and may ask you to log in to their Web site with your
student ID or library card number before connecting to
the Library of Texas.
For more information on the Library of Texas, go to:
<
http://www.texshare.edu/lot/index.html >
Libraries Across the United States
The flagship of America�s great libraries is the
Library of Congress, which seeks to obtain copies of
every book published in the United States. In the
areas of genealogy, history, biography, manuscripts
and special collections, the Library of Congress has a
vast collection of materials.
<
http://lcweb.loc.gov/homepage/lchp.html >
Every state has a major library and/or state archives
devoted to historical materials for that state. Some
of these state libraries and archives are combined
into one facility however in some states they are two
separate facilities. So don�t make the mistake to look
at one and not the other.
Most large universities and several large public
libraries have extensive history, genealogy and/or
archives collections. Again, some of these are
combined into one facility however Austin, Houston and
Dallas have separate genealogy collections, archives
and Texas & Local History collections.
I hope you are now motivated to get out to your local
library to do research instead of sitting only at the
computer! Now don�t get me wrong, I too spend too many
hours in front of the computer but I know that I
cannot solely rely on everything being on-line!
- - - -
In this column, I will be glad to highlight and review
any family history, genealogy, county history, or
similar book, free of charge, if you donate a copy of
the book or item. After it has been highlighted and
reviewed, on a space available basis, it will be
donated to the genealogy section of a library. You
will receive an acknowledgment of the donation from
the library. Mail item or book to me at the below
address.
To read back issues of this column, go to
<
http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/COLUMN-001.htm
.
Regretfully, I cannot help with individual
genealogical research. However, you can submit queries
that will be published on a space available basis. If
you have any questions, comments, suggestions for
column topics, genealogy or historical society
announcements, please contact me at: P. O. Box 16604,
Houston, Texas 77222-6604 or e-mail:
<lksfriday(a)sbcglobal.net
.
Lynna Kay Shuffield - P. O. Box 16604 - Houston, Texas
77222
'Our Loose Ends' Genealogy Column
http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/COLUMN-001.htm
Milam County TXGenWeb -
http://www.geocities.com/milamco/
San Jacinto County TXGenWeb
http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/SANJAC-01.htm
==== TX-LOOSE-ENDS Mailing List ====
"Our Loose Ends" Genealogy Column Website at:
http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/COLUMN-001.htm
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