Friday, April 23, 2010

Nebraska at WorldCat


Genealogists need and want books, but many times they don't go the distance in finding them. Of course, there's Google Books and other sites on Internet that are helpful. However, if you directly to the Nebraska listing on WorldCat, you'll be pleased at what turns up.

There are about 759 results. Some are journals, periodicals, books and even CDs. There are general Nebraska records, family genealogies, census and records by counties.

Click on the item of interest to learn more, such as the author, number of pages and printing. If you enter your zip code and click "Find Libraries," you will be taken to a list of libraries that have the item. Some may be close to home, but if not, supply your librarian with the information and see if it can be obtained on interlibrary loan.

An example of a family history is Recollections and Connections: from Ohio to Nebraska by Louise Mathews Harris, published in 2006. Under the details section I see that it pertains to the Mathews family. The only place WorldCat has located it is at the Seo Automation Consortium in Caldwell, OH. Click on that and you'll learn more about their digital catalog and download center.

The Valley View Cemetery: Holt County, Nebraska compiled by Stanley Lambert and Joyce Taylor is listed. If this interests you, it is available in the Omaha Public Library. This may be a book that is not available on interlibrary loan. If this is the case, consider having your librarian secure specific pages from the index. Yes, it's indexed, as I saw that information under "Details."

It's time to have fun ... Nebraska fun ... with WorldCat.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Conference Time


It is almost time for the Nebraska State Genealogical Society's 33rd Annual Conference which will be held on Friday and Saturday, April 23rd and 24th in Norfolk, NE. The location is the Holiday Inn Express, 920 South 20th Street in Norfolk.

The featured speaker is Paula Stuart-Warren, CG of Minnesota. She is very knowledgeable about genealogical research, particularly in this part of the United States. Her topics are:

The WPA Era: What it Created for Genealogists
The Three Rs: Reading, "Riting" and Research in School Records
Where are the Records they told me to check?
Finding Ancestral Places of Origin
Railroad Records and Railway History: Methods for Tracking
Organizing Your Genealogical Materials

Additional speakers are Russell Lang, Judy Carlson and Jeff Kappeler. There will even be a demonstration on "witching for graves."

Download a PDF file of the brochure as it is not too late to get registered for this excellent.
conference.