Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Tuesday's Tip - Check Local Library Online Databases

Today's Tuesday's Tip is to check the external databases that your local, or nearby, public libraries have available either inside the library or using access from the comfort of your home.

I have four library cards from San Diego County libraries.  These libraries offer a wide range of databases available from home.  For instance:

1)  Carlsbad Public Library

*  In the library:

**  Ancestry Library Edition
**  Footnote.com
**  New England Ancestors

*  In library plus home access (using a Carlsbad library card)

**  Biography and Genealogy Master Index (from Gale)
**  HeritageQuestOnline
**  NewspaperARCHIVE
**  ProQuest Newspapers

2)  San Diego County Library

*  In library branches

**  Ancestry Library Edition

*  In library and home access (with SDCL card number)

**  America's Obituaries and Death Notices from NewsBank
**  America's Newspapers from NewsBank

3)  San Diego Public Library

*  In library branches

**  Ancestry Library Edition

*  In library and home access (with SDPL card number)

**  Biography and Genealogy Master Index (from Gale)
**  Custom Newspapers Collection (from Gale)
**  Los Angeles Times newspaper, 1985-present (from ProQuest)
**  New York Times Historical, 1851-2006 (from ProQuest)
**  Newspapers, National and Regional (from ProQuest)
**  San Diego Union, 1983-1992; San Diego Tribune, 1983-1992; San Diego Union-Tribune, 1992 to present (from ProQuest)
**  Sanborn Maps (573 California cities), 1867-1970 (from ProQuest)

4)  Chula Vista Public Library

*  In library and home access (with CVPL card number)

**  San Diego Union, 1983-1992; San Diego Tribune, 1983-1992; San Diego Union-Tribune, 1992 to present (from ProQuest)
**  A to Z Maps Online

In every case, a library card from these libraries is free to obtain.  There are some excellent databases available from these libraries with home access. 

I spent an enjoyable two hours last night finding obituaries in the NewsBank Obituaries and Death Notices collection for recently deceased persons with the Seaver surname.  They were already transcribed, so all I had to do was copy and paste the text into the notes in my database for each person.  I learned the names of several spouses and many children of these Seaver persons.  I also found that my collection of Seaver people after 1930 is pretty sparse! 

What does your local or regional library offer for in-library and at-home access?  Do you know?  You may be able to access much more information than you realize just by having a library card.

1 comment:

Teresa Wilson Rogers said...

This is a great tip - I never considered this! Thanks!