April 22nd, 2007 Genealogy

As the ground thaws and spring takes hold, it is time for most people to start digging out their flower beds, but as most of the Brodie library staff know, the annual search for roots also brings crops of summer genealogists. Local residents and summer travellers have been known to hunt feverishly through reference resources to lay claim on their personal heritage. In addition to the regular requests for city directories and historical newspapers, this summer should be especially exciting at Brodie with the arrival of our newest electronic resource, Ancestry Library Edition. So instead of spring cleaning, stir up your attic to round up lost letters and family photos. It could be the ideal time to probe into your family tree.

How can I start my genealogical quest?

One regular researcher at the Brodie Library suggests that you list all that you know about your direct family in a pedigree chart and work your way backwards. Once you have this, a good book like Family History 101: A Beginner's Guide to Finding Your Ancestors can identify strategies, pitfalls and sources for your research.

Where can I find obituary notices for Thunder Bay?

Notices can be found at Brodie Library dating back to 1965 and can occasionally be found through the Fort William news index which dates back to the early 1930's. In truth, the wealth of genealogical information at Brodie largely depends on the generosity of the local Ontario Genealogical Society chapter who's deposit collection includes gems like Birth, Marriage, and Death Notices Extracted from the Fort William Daily Times Newspaper (1900 to 1912).

Where can I obtain marriage and birth records for Ontario?

While recent records are protected by privacy legislation and are held by Ontario's Registrar General, historic birth (1869-1909), marriage (1801-1924), and death (1869-1934) records are in the custody of the provincial Archives. (see www.archives.gov.on.ca for full details). Brodie Reference Services does a steady business in borrowing this kind of material through Inter-Library loan from various archives across Canada. All you need to do is ask.

How do I start researching my ancestors before they were Canadians?

Brodie Reference has a few print resources that identifies archival records for Canadian and US immigrants between 1600 and 1900 but an increasing volume of information can be found online through sources like the Canadian Genealogy Center or the international genealogical index at www.famlysearch.org. This last source is part of an extensive database collection from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Can I use my old family photographs?

A few titles in our collection are geared to using photographs for genealogy. Uncovering Your Ancestry Through Family Photographs by Maureen Taylor or Dating Old Photographs are resources that can help you extract historical evidence by identifying styles of clothing and photographic production techniques for dating clues. If using photographs prompts you to preserve their value, you may want to check out Preserving your family photographs by Maureen Taylor or Digitizing your Family History by Rhonda R. McClure.

Is there an easier way to do genealogy research?

It is not exhaustive, but a test drive of our newest database, Ancestry Library Edition can provide citations from and scanned copies of records like those already mentioned; photographs, birth, marriage death, immigration and census materials for both the US and Canada as well as selected genealogical information for countries all over the world. One huge advantage of the ancestry Library edition is the ability to search by keyword and the immediate access to scanned documents.

Another interesting option for genealogy research, DNA analysis, was in the news a few months ago. Searching our Canadian Business and Current Affairs database on the Library’s virtual collection, I found a recent article from the Canadian Press Newswire which names two companies; GeneTree DNA testing Center from Salt Lake City and Vancouver based Genetrack. Depending on your search, this can cost anywhere between $119 and $650 US. If dipping into the family gene pool through a home DNA kit does not present any nostalgia or sense of adventure, feel free to start your ancestry expedition the old fashioned way. Start early to avoid the summer rush to the Brodie Reference Library.

Tracey Zurich, Reference Librarian