Jan 03 2009
The Value of Local History Books
One of the first things you should do when beginning to research a line is to see if someone else has already published information on that family. If something has been published, then all you have to do is verify that research, and you’re that much ahead of the game.
Er, verify, you say? Yes, verify. You should always make sure that information you find is reliable, credible, logical, and thorough; in other words, make sure the research is solid. Just because you found it in a book (or online or in a newspaper article tucked away in your Great-Granny’s hope chest) doesn’t mean it’s true.
Hold all publications to this standard, but especially local history books. Some are incredibly well-researched, in which case, congratulations! You’ve hit the jackpot. Others, no matter how intelligent or educated the author was, sometimes miss the mark. I’ve got an example of this I’ll share in a future blog, but for now I want to discuss the compiled local family history books that are so popular these days, the ones where anyone can send in an article for inclusion and lots of people do.
Those books are excellent ways to expand your research, meet fellow family historians, and find interesting stories about the area in which your ancestors lived. But when you read them, be skeptical. Many of the articles, if not most, are compiled from tradition or from a person’s memory with little corroboration. They make great reads, but they aren’t always accurate. And that is exactly why you should never, ever take them at face value.
No matter which way these articles blow, toward solidly researched articles or family story, please be polite and respectful when contacting the article’s author. You’ll learn far more, and make more meaningful interpersonal connections (socially, not research-wise), by being courteous than by being rude, arrogant or demanding. It’s one of the top rules of family history research. Ok, maybe not, but it should be!
Happy hunting.
