Using your local library for free research

[Graham47]

Even though I'm a pensioner I'm no cheapskate honest, and have paid and used ancestry.com for about a year but now use my local library for this particular site because it's free. With so many organisations offering and charging for their services I have got to wondering how many other than ancestry.com are available in libraries across the country - for example, is 'thegenealogist.co.uk' available as well?

I could ask in the library of course but you'd be surprised how many do not know the answer to such questions. My local library and even the one in the next town had never heard of it even though it was available.

Cheers.

[silvery]

A lot of libraries have got Ancestry.    What you could do when you're next in the library is do a search of the computer for different sites, and see if they are available.   I think some libraries also have Gale's newspaper database, that can be very handy.   

[Archivos]

The library should have a list of subscription sites available - check their website, or see if they've got leaflets kicking about somewhere.  I know my library lists all their online resources available, and says which ones have to be accessed onsite and which ones you can use from home with your library card.

I'm not surprised staff don't always know what's available - often the list of resources is long, and information about any new subscriptions isn't always passed on to the people at the front desk. 

[O1dgobbo]

Hi Graham
Cambridgeshire Library lists its available databases. There are only two in the genealogical section, Ancestry and the Cambridge and Local Studies Catalogue. However in there are treasures in the other sections; biography includes Crockford's Clerical Directory, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and Who's Who/Who was Who; and newspapers and periodicals includes British Newspaper Archives, the Guardian (1821-2003) and the Observer (1791-2003), and the Times Digital Archive. You can also access Official Publications On-line.
All the best
Gobbo

[stanmapstone]

A Google search for virtual reference libraries online  http://www.rootschat.com/links/0vl6/  shows a selection of council libraries that have this service.

Stan

[Plummiegirl]

One thing to take into account with using libraries for research is that you often in very busy ones have to book a slot

This is usually 1 hour and in busy ones they will be very strict about this.

So go armed with:

1:  Concise list of what you are looking for (to save pfaffing about!!)
2:  A memory stick (to save having to pay for photocopies)/or a digital camera (take a photo of the screen!)
3:  Pencil & Paper (sharpener & rubber also, many will not allow you to use a pen)
4:  Also see if you can email any records you do find useful to yourself (not always possible)

This is a very effective and cheap way to do Family History research, which as we all know can become so expensive, and is also a way of meeting others with the same interests.

[Graham47]

All good advice, thanks people!

Cheers.