{"id":107994,"date":"2026-04-21T09:57:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T13:57:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/?p=107994"},"modified":"2026-04-21T09:57:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T13:57:47","slug":"10-library-tips-for-genealogists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/10-library-tips-for-genealogists.html","title":{"rendered":"10 Library Tips for Genealogists"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article \u2013 to help celebrate National Library Week \u2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega provides 10 tips to use libraries for your family history research. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

This week marks National Library Week and it\u2019s a good time to consider how you can use the library to enhance your family history research. Whether you are a regular library visitor or it\u2019s been a while, use this week as an excuse to visit a library in person or online.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: St. Petersburg Public Library, built in 1915 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Credit: Ebyabe; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Library Tips<\/strong><\/p>\n

Libraries have so much to offer genealogists. The following are just a few ideas to help you start incorporating libraries into your research.<\/p>\n

(1) Become reacquainted with your local library. Library research starts with your local public library. No matter what its size, your local library has services that can help your family history research even if your family wasn\u2019t from that area. For example, your library may offer interlibrary loan, providing you access to books and articles from just about any library, including academic libraries, in the United States.<\/p>\n

(2) Libraries have more than just books. Sure, books are what we automatically associate with libraries \u2013 but don\u2019t forget that their holdings include other materials including periodicals, audio and video materials, microforms, and even \u201cstuff\u201d (physical items to check out like record players and kitchen tools). The list of what\u2019s available will differ on the type of library and their collecting priorities.<\/p>\n

(3) There are different types of libraries. You most likely are familiar with your local public library but remember that for your research you\u2019ll also want to identify other libraries, including genealogy, state, academic, and private.<\/p>\n

(4) What\u2019s in your wallet? You may want to have more than just your local library card. Academic libraries sometimes offer alumni or community member cards for a fee. Public libraries in your state may extend borrowing privileges to you even if you don\u2019t live locally. See the library website you\u2019re interested in to determine if you qualify for a library card.<\/p>\n

(5) Why do I have a card for a library seven hours away from me? One word: databases! Each library has its own subscription databases that can include periodicals, historical materials, and more. I collect multiple library cards to enlarge the number of databases I have access to. Check out a library\u2019s website to determine what subscription websites they offer to patrons.<\/p>\n

(6) Make friends with librarians. Librarians are the best and I count quite a few as friends. A librarian\u2019s superpower is finding information. That\u2019s what they went to school to learn. Yes, you have Google, but in some cases that isn\u2019t enough to find what you need. Don\u2019t forget that a librarian, in person, via email, or through an online chat, can assist you in finding the keyword that will help you find the resource you need for your research.<\/p>\n

(7) Contact the library where your ancestors lived. Libraries can be treasure troves of genealogy information beyond just books. In some cases, they may have \u201cloose folders\u201d of information about local history and families. They may have digitized obituaries or local newspapers. The local genealogy society might even offer services through the library, including look-ups. Your ancestors\u2019 local library can hold the answer to your research question.<\/p>\n

(8) Add libraries to your research plans. Peruse the library\u2019s website and online card catalog for your ancestors\u2019 hometown. Note resources they offer online and in person. Even if you have no intention of traveling to that library, knowing about their collections can be helpful to you. Who knows? Maybe one day that item will be digitized, perhaps the librarian will provide you a copy, or you\u2019ll find out a friend is going to be researching there and can help you by providing a look-up.<\/p>\n

(9) Don\u2019t forget that libraries have events. Whether they are the meeting place of the local genealogy society or they have invited a local author to speak, libraries have events that can be of interest. Whenever I go to the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, one of the first things I do is see what presentations staff are giving. Often these include presentations on an ancestral location, a specific type of research, or how to use the library.<\/p>\n

(10) Follow your favorite libraries on social media. Whether your favorite social media website is Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, follow your local and favorite libraries and others on social media to learn about collections and events. If you\u2019re planning a trip to that library, their social media channels or website will help inform you of any closures or other issues that might impact your visit.<\/p>\n

I love libraries. All genealogists need libraries to find unique materials that hold answers to genealogical questions. Spend some time this week visiting a library in person or online.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your favorite library? Why is it your favorite? Use the comments below to share your library with us.<\/p>\n

Create a free account<\/a> at GenealogyBank for 7 days to start your genealogy journey and discover the stories your ancestors left behind.<\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> Carnegie Library, built in 1901 in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Credit: Steven C. Price; Wikimedia Commons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this article \u2013 to help celebrate National Library Week \u2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega provides 10 tips to use libraries for your family history research.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":108001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12713],"tags":[2719,20],"class_list":["post-107994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genealogy-research-tips","tag-genealogy-search-tips","tag-libraries"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/photo-0319-2020-featured-graphic-library.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107994"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107994\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108000,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107994\/revisions\/108000"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}