Family History Library
35 N. West Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3400
USA

• Family history centers. Copies of most of the records on microform at the Family History Library can be loaned to more than 1800 Family History Centers. There are small duplication and postage fees for this service.
  

The library’s books cannot be loaned to the centers, but copies of many books not protected by copyright are available on microfilm or microfiche. You can get a list of the Family History Centers near you by writing to the Family History Library at the address above.

• Archives and local churches. Most of the original documents you will need are at state, church, and local archives or in local parish offices. While the Family History Library has many records on microfilm, additional records are available only at these archives. You can request searches in their records through correspondence. (See the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline for more information.)
  
• Libraries and interlibrary loan. Public, academic, and other research libraries may have some published sources for Italian research. Many libraries also provide interlibrary loan services that allow you to borrow records from other libraries.
  
• Professional researchers. You can employ a private researcher to search the records for you. Few researchers specialize in Italian records. Lists of qualified professional researchers are available from the Family History Library.
  
• Photocopies. The Family History Library and some other libraries offer limited photo duplication services for a small fee. You must specify the exact pages you need. Books protected by copyright cannot be copied in their entirety. However, a few pages can usually be copied for personal research. You may request copies of documents from the archive or library or office where the records are stored. Photocopying facilities are available in Italy.
  

When requesting services from libraries or professional researchers through correspondence, you are more likely to be successful if your letter is brief and very specific. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) when writing within your own country. When writing to other countries, enclose international reply coupons (available from large post offices). You will usually need to send a check or money order in advance to pay for photocopy or search services.

Suggestions for Searching the Records. You will be most successful with Italian research if you can examine the original records (on microfilm). In some cases, handwritten transcripts of the original records are available. These may be easier to read, but may be less accurate than the original records.

Follow these principles as you search the records for your ancestor:

• Search for one generation at a time. Do not attempt to connect your family to others of the same surname who lived more than a generation before your proven ancestor. It is much easier to prove parentage than descent.
  
• Search for the ancestor’s entire family. The records of each person in a family may include clues for identifying other family members. In most families, children were born at regular intervals. If there appears to be a longer period between some children, reexamine the records for a child who may have been overlooked. Consider looking at other records and in other places to find a missing family member.
  
• Search each source thoroughly. The information you need to find a person or trace the family further may be a minor detail of the record you are searching. Note the occupation of your ancestor and the names of witnesses, godparents, neighbors, relatives, guardians, and others. Also, note the places they are from.
  
• Search a broad time period. Dates obtained from some sources may not be accurate. Look several years before and after the date you think an event, such as a birth, occurred.
  
• Look for indexes. Many records have indexes. However, many indexes are incomplete. They may only include the name of the specific person the record is about. They may not include parents, witnesses, and other incidental persons. Also, be aware that the original records may have been misinterpreted or names may have been omitted during indexing.
  
• Search for prior residence. Information about previous residences is crucial to continued successful research.
  
• Watch for spelling variations. Look for the many ways a name could have been spelled. Spelling was not standardized when most early records were made. You may find a name spelled differently than it is today.