Useful Genealogy Research Books

Guidebooks for Best Family History Research Methods and Practices

May 11, 2009

Internet resources are not the only tools for genealogy research: There are a myriad of great genealogy books. Here is a quick guide to some interesting research books.

Genealogy research can be a fun and satisfying experience.One of the biggest problems that genealogists face is determining where to start. Listed below are a number of great books for researchers written by genealogy enthusiasts.

Edited by Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, this book is great for beginners and family history research pros alike. The first chapter introduces the basics and essentials of genealogy research, and the rest of the book describes the wealth of family history research material available in the US, as well as how to find and use these multiple resources. This is both a solid introduction for beginners and a comprehensive reference for advanced researchers.

By Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence! Citation & Analysis for Family Historians covers some of the most important fundamentals of genealogical research: citations of sources and analysis of evidence. This book not only describes in detail how to cite sources but also discusses how to understand, think about, and evaluate the evidence from such resources—the bread and butter of genealogy research. Her newest book, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, expands this to cover electronic resources as well. With the increased use of internet and nontraditional resources such as public records databases and podcasts, this book is a must-have guide to analyzing and citing genealogical material from the ancient to the new-age.

Everyone has family photographs, but it takes a keen eye to see the furthest extent of what can be learned from them. This book by Maureen Taylor provides insight into the surprising reaches of genealogical information that can be gleaned by family photographs, as well as how to find and preserve family photographs.

Locating a record isn’t the end-all in family history research: Perhaps you’ve spent weeks and months locating that elusive passenger list, only to find that the handwriting is indecipherable. Written by Kip Sperry, this guide helps readers tackle this common and extremely frustrating obstacle through illustrative examples. Don’t let handwriting be the brick wall that stumps you.

The Handybook for Genealogists

Published by Everton Publishers, this has been one of the most popular genealogy research books to date. This book is organized geographically, with comprehensive directories of archives, genealogical libraries, and genealogical societies by state. It also includes a good bit of history that will serve as important guideposts of your genealogical search, including state histories, notable historical dates, and color maps that include migration routes.

Two parents, four grandparents, sixteen great-grandparents, and countless siblings across the board. As quickly as your ancestors pile, the litter of records, notes, letters, and other documents will pile even faster in your genealogical research. This book by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, which provides advice and guidelines for organizing the multitude of genealogical material you are sure to come across, is must-have for family historians.

Women are indeed the hidden half of the family: that women’s identities are hard to find is a well-known problem, one that has stymied many family historians. In this book, author Christina K. Schaefer outlines both federal and state laws that have impacted women, such as marriage and divorce, suffrage, citizenship, property, and inheritance. Through a detailed chronicling of when and how women’s identities were recorded by the government, this book provides insightful guidance for even the most advanced genealogists in their search for female ancestors.

This list is only a handful of useful books out there, so please visit your local library or book store to find more great books.

The copyright of the article Useful Genealogy Research Books in Genealogical Research Methods is owned by Rick Evin. Permission to republish Useful Genealogy Research Books in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.