I would add Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to Paul's list. If your local library
doesn't have what you want doesn't mean that it isn't out there and
available. If you are willing to wait a couple of day's, ILL is well worth
the effort.
Tom
Eastern Shore & More
http://easternshoremore.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Drake" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "'Madaline Preston'" <[log in to unmask]>;
<[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 11:53 AM
Subject: Re: [VAROOTS] [VA-ROOTS] value of Ancestry.com
> Hi, Madaline. Your questions are so widely heard that the fine VA sites
> also would be benefited by this needed apace.
>
> I would suggest that - if the money will stress your budget - you first
> check Heritage Quest which may well be available through one of the
> libraries you use. Unless you are a professional and use censuses and
> other
> common records on a daily basis, you should notice that while the Heritage
> Quest sites have shortfalls in the censuses offered, so too does
> Ancestry.com in numerous other areas of research.
>
> As I have said, genealogy, like politics, is local. Before spending a
> lot,
> go to the websites dedicated to research in the counties/towns/cities in
> which your folks lived. There, look for their offerings of research aids
> for that locale and then reconsider your needs.
>
> Genealogy is about "where and when", and as to records local to where your
> ancestors lived, you will find that most of the pay-for sites are dismally
> short as to the very important land/mortgage records, courts' orders,
> criminal records, local offices and records such as voting and draft
> rolls,
> local tax records, registration often locally required of nurses,
> midwives,
> physicians, dentists, druggists, and often teachers, not to mention the
> many
> church records that are held locally or at the archives of that religious
> discipline. Further, outside your "wheres" you will find very few records
> of "miscellaneous" records, burials, lunacy (lots of folks were so
> declared), and the very important local newspapers and vertical files.
>
> Do not overlook county or local histories. Though often sold by
> subscription, thus not always terribly accurate, in every one of such, I
> wager you will find very valuable information within those volumes.
>
> There are many more local records unavailable anyplace other than in the
> records at your "wheres", and in 50 years I have never been in a
> courthouse
> that did not have records that appear nowhere else on the net or in large
> collections. Such unavailability arises primarily because researchers
> simply can not sell enough of such works even to pay for the printing, so
> we
> rarely do it.
>
> You well may need some pay-for help, but utilize the on-line LDS records
> and
> their local Family History Centers first. Are there errors in such
> records?
> Of course, but that is true of virtually every collection of writings
> anywhere and done by any of us. So, start locally, try Heritage Quest for
> the censuses they do have in order that you may gain more "wheres",
> carefully read the local websites, join the local inexpensive societies
> for
> a year, read the newsletters, and make acquaintances within that research
> community. THEN, when you know what you do NOT yet have available, pay as
> you please.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Paul
>
> ***Subject: [VA-ROOTS] value of Ancestry.com
>
> I would be pleased to learn from the experiences of others who have joined
> Ancestry.com. I have finally retired and feel it is time to get down to
> more research. I have two Smith lines and will be most interested in the
> pre-1800 era so can't help but wonder if putting out the $$$$ to join
> would
> be of value. All input greatly appreciated...maybe best sent to me
> personally and not sent to the list to clog it up.
> Thanks for any help.
> Madaline
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html
|
