Almanacs
and Yearbooks
Annual publications that describe or summarize the events of
one year for a place, organization, or specific topic. They
are frequently accompanied by astronomical data, statistics,
or other information (weather, cycles of the moon, farm
production, demographics, chronologies, etc.). They may give
addresses of governments, organizations, or churches.
Bibliography
Lists of books, maps, videos, etc. relating to a subject.
Some magazine articles may be included in the list. A
bibliography often gives authors, titles, and publishers of
the works. This topic may also include lists of Internet
links.
Chronology
Information that tells how different peoples measure days,
months, and years. It also includes helps for converting
from one calendar to another.
Dwellings
Descriptions and records about buildings and homes: the
design, construction, traditional structures, etc. The
records may include the history of a home with information
about past and present owners.
Encyclopedias
and Dictionaries
Encyclopedias are reference works that concisely describe
many general subjects or that explain one subject
thoroughly. Dictionaries define words (arranged
alphabetically) used in one language.
Gazetteers
and Historical Geography
Records that give information about geographical names and
boundaries. These may include descriptions of places; map
coordinates; origins of the names of places; and changes in
boundaries, jurisdictions, or names.
Glossary
Use the glossary when you want terms associated with genealogical research defined, or if you want an English translation of foreign words you may encounter in Research Guidance. A magnifying glass next to a word means a glossary definition or translation is available.
Handwriting
Records about early forms of handwriting. These include
writing samples, alphabets, instructions on how to decipher
the writing, etc.
History
Descriptions of the past events in a place, an institution,
or a field of knowledge.
Language
and Languages
Records that define, teach, or describe languages and
specific dialects. This includes grammars, learning aids,
translation aids, and dictionaries for two or more
languages.
Maps
Maps, charts, or plans that show the current or historic
locations of towns, buildings, boundaries, roads, rivers,
railroads, parish boundaries, etc. These include atlases
(collections of maps).
Names,
Personal
Information about names, surnames (last or family names),
nicknames, and naming customs. The topic may include
variations, meanings, origins, and histories of names.
Newspapers
Publications usually printed daily or weekly that contain
articles describing world, national, or local events and
other topics. These records include copies, clippings, or
complete newspapers and may contain birth, marriage, and
death announcements.
Periodicals
Regularly issued magazines, journals, e-zines (electronic
magazines), etc. This topic includes lists of periodicals or
articles from periodicals.
Postal
and Shipping Guides
List of post offices, railroad stations and stops, ports,
terminals, etc., with place names and route information.
Research
Coordination
Sites and sources that allow users to find others who are
researching the same genealogies or areas.
Research
Guidance
A tool that helps you decide what records to use to find
information about your ancestor. It lists the best records
to use, recommends the order in which to search them,
provides step-by-step instructions for finding information
in the records, and tells you where the copies of the
records may be located.
Research
Helps
An index collection of all research helps. It includes
research outlines, forms, maps, historical backgrounds and
information on how to find a map, name variations and so
forth.
Societies
Organizations, associations, fraternal orders, institutions,
or groups active in a particular subject. Society records
may include lists of members, information for contacting the
organization, etc.
Travel
and Guidebooks
Handbooks of travel information. The information may include
routes and means of travel (train schedules, subway maps,
airport information, etc.), descriptions of hotels and
restaurants, and items of cultural interest (museums, etc.).
Personal impressions and descriptions of a place are also
included in this topic.
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