The archives, libraries, and societies listed below have major collections or services helpful to genealogical researchers.

• Delaware Public Archives

Hall of Records
Dover, DE 19901
Telephone: 302-739-5318
Fax: 302-739-2578

A guide to some of their records is:

Mattern, Joanne, and Harold B. Hancock, comps. A Preliminary Inventory of the Older Records in the Delaware Archives. Dover, Del.: Delaware Public Archives, 1978. (FHL fiche 6331225; computer number 121710.) This source briefly describes jurisdiction, record type, number of volumes, and dates covered.

• National Archives—Mid-Atlantic Region

900 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Telephone: 215-597-3000
Fax: 215-597-2303

• The Delaware Genealogical Society

505 Market Street Mall
Wilmington, DE 19801-3091

• The Historical Society of Delaware

505 Market Street Mall
Wilmington, DE 19801-3091
Telephone: 302-655-7161
Fax: 302-655-7844

• The Historical Society of Pennsylvania

1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107-5699
Telephone: 215-732-6201
Fax: 215-732-2680

• The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania

1305 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Telephone: 215-545-0391
Fax: 215-545-0936

• University of Delaware Library

Newark, DE 19717-5267
Telephone: 302-831-2231

• Hagley Museum and Library

P.O. Box 3630
Wilmington, DE 19807-0630
Telephone: 302-658-2400
Fax: 302-658-0568

Riggs, John Beverley. A Guide to Manuscripts in the Eleutherian Mills Historical Library . . . Greenville, Del.: Eleutherian Mills Historical Library, 1970. (FHL book 975.11/G1 J53e; and supplement; computer number 595398.) This guide lists records acquired through 1965. The supplement lists records acquired through 1975.

For more information about Delaware repositories see:

Holley, Barbara Ann, ed. Directory of Libraries and Information Sources in the Philadelphia Area (Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware). Philadelphia: Special Libraries Association, Philadelphia Chapter, 1977. (FHL book 974.811 J54s 1977; film 1036557 item 9; computer number 174981.) Briefly lists address, phone, hours, collection, and use of interlibrary loan.

Historical Records Survey (Delaware). Inventory of the County Archives of Delaware. No. 1. New Castle County. Dover, Del.: The Public Archives Commission, 1941. (FHL book 975.11 A3i; film 897354 item 1; fiche 6051279; computer number 254411.) Detailed description of each record type including years covered, number of volumes, and contents.

Computer Networks and Bulletin Boards

Computers with modems are important tools for obtaining information from selected archives and libraries. In a way, computer networks themselves serve as a library. The Internet, certain computer bulletin boards, and commercial on-line services help family history researchers:

• Locate other researchers
• Post queries
• Send and receive E-mail
• Search large databases
• Search computer libraries
• Join in computer chat and lecture sessions
  

You can find computerized research tips and information about ancestors from Delaware in a variety of sources at local, state, national, and international levels. The list of sources is growing rapidly. Most of the information is available at no cost.

Addresses on the Internet change frequently. As of April 1997, the following sites are important gateways linking you to many more network and bulletin board sites:

• USGenWeb

http://www.usgenweb.com/
A cooperative effort by many volunteers to list genealogical databases, libraries, bulletin boards, and other resources available on the Internet for each county, state, and country.

• Roots-L

http://www.rootsweb.com/roots-l/usa/
A useful list of sites and resources. Includes a large, regularly-updated research coordination list.

Internet sites specifically about Delaware family history include:

• Delaware Families Project

http://delgensoc.org/delfam.html
Documents all families living in Delaware between 1787 and 1800.

• Delaware Genealogical Society

http://www.magpage.com/~tdoherty/
Lists key repositories and publications.

• Sources of Genealogical Information in Delaware

http://www.everton.com/usa/de.htm
Lists counties, when created, and their resources.

For further details about using computer networks, bulletin boards, and news groups for family history research, see the United States Research Outline (30972), 2nd ed., “Archives and Libraries” section.

FamilySearch™

The Family History Library and some Family History Centers have computers with FamilySearch™. FamilySearch is a collection of computer files containing several million names. FamilySearch is a good place to begin your research. Some of the records come from compiled sources; some have been automated from original sources.

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