2005* Results 'Core' or Essential Reference Tool Survey: Genealogy Reference

1. What are the essential 3-5 print Genealogy reference sources that you can't work without in answering reference questions ? The Top 8 - some Reference Tools tied in votes. The top 2 Categories received substantial votes - in fact most repondents mentioned the types of resource in the #1 position

  1. Local archives, files, microform, indices for census data, newspapers, city directories, vital statistics, church records, cemetary records, maps, and atlases
  2. State archives, files, microform, indices for census data, newspapers, city directories, vital statistics, church records, cemetary records, maps, and atlases
  3. Handybook for Genealogists (Everton)
  4. International Vital Records Handbook (Kemp)
  5. Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County & Town Sources and The Source : A Guidebook of American Genealogy
  6. Map Guide to the U. S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920 (Dollarhide)
  7. Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, The Genealogists Address Book (Bentley), and Township Atlas of the United States
  8. Filby's Passenger & Immigration Lists, The Ancestry Family Historian's Address Book, and The Census Book : A Genealogist's Guide to Federal Census Facts, Schedules and Indexes

2. What are the essential 3-5 Web-accessible or other Genealogy databases that you can't work without in answering reference questions ? The Top 9 Genealogy Web Sites - Some sites tied in votes:

  1. HeritageQuest Online - http://www.heritagequestonline.com/(UMI-Library version) http://www.il.proquest.com/en-US/catalogs/databases/detail/heritagequest.shtml HeritageQuest public Web site - http://www.heritagequest.com/
  2. Ancestry.Com or Ancestry Library Edition (was AncestryPlus) - http://www.ancestry.com
  3. FamilySearch - http://www.familysearch.org
  4. Cyndi's Genealogy Homepage (aka Cyndi's List) - http://www.cyndislist.com and RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative - http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/
  5. USGenWeb Project - http://www.usgenweb.com
  6. Social Security Death Records Index (SSDI) - http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi
  7. American Family Immigration History Center - http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/ and Vital Records Information for All States and Territories of the United States & International - http://www.vitalrec.com/
  8. Local and state historical and genealogical society Web sites and/or locally produced local information databases e.g., Ohio Historical Society Death Index, Illinois State Archives Online Databases, etc.
  9. NARA National Archives and Records Administration Genealogy Page - http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/*

*NARA votes were for specific databases at the NARA site - I totalled all the mentions of specifically NARA materials and gave them to the entire site.

Web-based courses

*This survey was posted to Genealib, publib, libref-l, LIS-LINK, DIG_REF, ERIL-L, Buslib-L LawLibRef, Law-Lib@ucdavis.edu, LawSource, GovDoc-L, LM_NET, and livereference during the Summer 2005. Please feel free to forward to your local or regional discussion lists or individuals that might be interested: