One of the Least Used Genealogy Resources

As more people come to the party known as family history and genealogy research the majority start their hobby with on-line resources. There are many sites on the Internet that help facilitate that research by permitting people to quickly find records such as:

• census enumerations
• civil birth, marriage, and death registrations
• parish baptism, marriage, and funeral records
• passenger lists
• border crossing forms
• military records
• city directories
• electoral rolls

Yet that only scratches the surface of what is available. The various archives, libraries, and museums are a treasure trove of those hidden gems that often contain the answers to our brick walls. I've mentioned in past posts the need to Check the Local Library and have often mentioned the collections at Library and Archives Canada.

However there is one resource that is often not used. This resource is not a document or microfilm. It isn't composed of paper, plastic, or celluloid. Rather this resource consists of the amazing Librarians and Archivists in those brick and mortar, glass and steel, and concrete buildings that I keep encouraging you to visit.

Maybe you are visiting a library in a town where your ancestors settled. You think you know the exact book you want to consult since your found that book in one of the online catalogues such as WorldCat or on the library's own web site. So you head over to the genealogy section, read the applicable pages in the book and then you are done right?

Not even close!

Before going to that book you should have dropped by the reference desk and said hello to the Librarian. Then you should have let them know what you are researching and if they might be able to point you to what they have in their collection that can help you in your quest.

That is how I met up with another researcher who just happened to be researching the same family line I was interested in. The Librarian brought me over to the genealogy section and made the introductions. We were then able to compare notes, help each other out, and save time by not duplicating our research efforts.

Maybe you have a brick wall and you have looked everywhere in the library or archive. Actually that should be you think you have looked everywhere. Walk over to the reference desk and ask if they have a moment to help you out. Explain your problem and where you have looked. You may just be amazed to find out you really haven't looked everywhere. You see the Librarians and Archivists know their collections. They will ask some probing questions, maybe even check their computer or card catalogue (yes, these still exist), and then take you to the document or book that you didn't even know existed.

So make use of that wonderful resource known as the Librarian or Archivist!

Capital Sm@rtLibrary in Ottawa, Ontario

For those doing research in the Ottawa-Gatineau region you may be interested in the Capital Sm@rtLibrary. This site, as they so simply put it, "brings together the collections available at 12 libraries in the National Capital Region. In a single search, you can view the resources of all 12 collections."

The participating libraries include the following:

• Ottawa Public Library
• University of Ottawa
• Carleton University
• Canadian Housing Information Centre
• Algonquin College Learning Resource Centre
• Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO)
• Cité collégiale
• Canadian Museum of History
• Bibliothèque municipale de Gatineau
• Dominican College
• Canadian War Museum
• National Gallery of Canada
• Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation

Some of the libraries are lending libraries while others you need to visit to look at the item you are interested in. Fortunately the table on the Sm@rtLibrary site provides those important details.

However, what makes this a great site is that the catalogues of all these libraries are searchable in one place. For example, one of my little annoyances (AKA brick wall) that I'm always on the look out for is information that will help show that Hannah, the wife of Charles Howe, of Norton, Kings County, New Brunswick is the daughter of Elijah Baxter and the granddaughter of the Loyalist Captain Simon Baxter.

Into the Sm@rtLibrary search I typed in "Simon Baxter" to see what would appear already knowing that the book "Simon Baxter (the first United Empire Loyalist to settle in New Brunswick)" by John B. M. Baxter is held by the Canadian Museum of History. What I didn't expect to find was "Auction  [microform] :  will be sold at public auction on Wednesday, 15th inst. at 12 o'clock, at the house of Mr. Simon Baxter, in the parish of Norton, K.C" which is held in the Carleton University Library. This auction may have been held in Elijah's brother's house.