One Rhode Island Family

Of all the things that genealogists do, getting into a town hall, courthouse, state archives or library is probably the most exciting. Seeing something our ancestor signed, spotting the crucial details left out of the index or abstract we saw, reading a court record, or finding a source we weren’t even aware of are some of the exciting possibilities that await. Here are some tips for that journey.

The American French Genealogical Society in Woonsocket, Rhode Island

How to choose a repository and prepare

1. If you will be in a certain area and you are wondering which repository might best suit your needs, look for an overall guide to all the historical societies and libraries in the area.  For Rhode Island, this would be at:  http://www.rhodi.org/
2. Do a web search for history, manuscripts, or genealogy + the location of interest, and see what places come up. A national-level repository near you can have significant records on a location that is far away, for instance, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, MO, or the Allen County Public Library in Ft Wayne, IN.
3. Learn as much as possible about content from the repository’s website.  This includes any card catalog or manuscript guides, as well as guides to specific collections called “Finding Aids;” always read any that refer to collections that are important to you. Begin a list of what to look for on site; don’t assume you will remember.  Repository time is much too valuable to spend looking at a catalog that was available from home.
4. For libraries specializing in genealogy, always check out whether the library is a Family History Library Affiliate. This will give you better access on site to some of the secured digital collections of FamilySearch.org; you will want to plan for that access by exploring FamilySearch.org in advance for record sets of interest.
5. Check out the hours, days of operation, specific entry requirements (membership, requesting a researcher’s card, paying a fee, etc) and if the operation seems very small, always call in advance to be sure the site is staffed that day.
6. Examine options for parking, what you can bring into the research room, whether there are lockers for your other belongings, and whether food may be allowed on site (that would be rare, and only if there is a separate eating area) or must stay in your car (or whether suitable dining may be available nearby).

The Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center of the Rhode Island Historical Society, Hope Street, Providence.

What to bring

1. In the car, make sure you have a paper copy of the map and directions you need to find the building.  Cell signals can give out in some locations and your cell phone maps may quit.
2. Whatever payment or ID may be needed to get in.
3. Based on instructions you read online, plan how you will bring in notes and take notes away with you. You should bring in a list of what you plan to look for and some notes or printed charts about the section of your tree that you are researching.  Sometimes in a restricted setting, with library-type tables and chairs, a tablet or laptop will be allowed in (but not paper pads or notebooks) and might be the easiest thing.  In a records center like a town hall, there may be no place to put or plug in a laptop; a clipboard with a pad might be the best thing. Sometimes a tablet is the best way to be sure you have access to your own notes and to your family tree; that can be useful. Pencils are always preferred to pens and usually pens are forbidden anyway.
4. A camera or, your cell phone’s camera. Not all repositories can accommodate a request for a photocopy, although note that some repositories, like Connecticut town halls, will require that they make you photocopies of certain documents, and won’t allow photos. For day-long research, plan to bring extra camera batteries or a way to recharge your cell phone.
5. A flash drive in case you get lucky enough to find a computer-assisted microfilm machine, or a computer serving copies of digitized records. It need not have a huge capacity; 2g should be fine.
6. Often, it is easiest to pack your own lunch because many a genealogist has become reluctant to leave a repository in mid day (one more hour!) and ends up extremely hungry by late afternoon.  Lunch in the car is a sure thing with no waiting and might be the simplest way to eat, although some repositories have a lunch room where you can sit and eat what you’ve brought. Another good idea is to have water in the car.

Older records at the Coventry, Rhode Island town clerk’s office.

Onsite

1. Check out the local parking options.  Note that these days, many parking meters take credit or debit cards only. Make a note of where you parked.
2. Checking in will be the first step; even if a welcome desk seems unattended, look around for staff and expect to check in.  If it’s a public library or public venue, check-in is not necessary but be sure to ask staff if there are additional genealogy resources; these are not always properly highlighted on the website.
3. If you are expected to place all belongings in a locker, do that, keeping just a laptop, tablet or a couple of pieces of paper and pencil. Keep the key and leave it back in the lock later when you check out. Usually you can bring a phone in on silent.
4. Using your prior notes from the website, locate the main items of interest – books, microfilm, ways to request items from a restricted archive, card catalogs, special index guides, the index volume section for original record books like deeds or probate, additional resources stored in another room or on another level, and public computers if needed.
5. Once seated, begin your work; make sure to put in any special requests early in your stay since delivery is not usually immediate (in fact, be aware that some repositories would prefer you make your requests a couple of days in advance, conversely, some repositories will only take requests on site).  Be sure you understand how the item will be delivered and where you should be. For large manuscript books or a documents box, it is best to place them on your table and use them one at a time if possible.  In very few cases is it ever acceptable to leave materials on the table when you leave the facility; plan to put away what you use or leave it in the designated area.
6. Follow your list and in addition to whatever you record as notes, make a note next to each item on your list about what the result was – pictures on your camera, notes on paper, not found, or images captured on a flash drive.
7. For each work you use, try to capture images of the cover, title page, reverse of title page, microfilm ID, etc.  Record or image everything you need to correctly cite the material later (or, even better, write the citation while you are sitting there); this may also be necessary for recording the lack of an entry in a certain work.  For each page where you find information, if it’s allowed and legal, take a picture of the information, holding yourself steady by leaning against something while you do so, plus, take a picture of the full-page so you get all page numbers, and also the cover and the spine.  For books under copyright, there is a limit to how much you can image. Often, it’s a better practice when you find an extremely useful book in a library to order the cheapest copy of it that you can find for use at home.
8. Another opportunity that you have at the repository is to consult a librarian, archivist or volunteer about certain questions you have. Try to have focused questions appropriate to the setting because, in fairness, they do not know who your ancestors are. Mainly, your goal is to find out about certain collections, indices, maps and manuscripts that have never been digitized and will not be available elsewhere. But note that in an active records facility where current transactions are being recorded, it is not always possible to get special help on the old records.

A special collection located in the Genealogy Room at the Fiske Public Library, Wrentham, Mass.

After the visit

1. It is extremely important to pull out your materials at home and save them properly, right away.  For digital images, saving them in a “TEMP FOLDER FROM REPOSITORY” folder (in a subfolder with the repository’s name, month and year) on your computer is a good immediate step.  Never count on remembering to find the flash drive, or locate photos on your camera, later on.  For paper notes or photocopies, have a similar procedure that you use every time.
2. As soon as possible, record your work and your citations.  Save your materials where they logically belong in your records system.
3. Make a list of follow-up activities.

The Revolutionary War Index, Rhode Island State Archives, Providence

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