• To provide an overview of family history enquiries and how to deal with them in public libraries.
• To identify key resources for family history research.
• Key motivations of patron's, issues and challenges of providing family history service in public libraries are also explored.

The provision of family history resources in public libraries provides patrons with the means to begin researching family histories in Australia and overseas. Motivations for undertaking such research are personal in nature, sometimes for a hobby or pastime, but often for reasons including personal health issues; the need to 'belong' as a member of a family in society; to link up with distant family members; and for many other pressing and sometimes highly emotional reasons.

Family history collections in public libraries may consist of a small collection of microfiche and a reader in the corner of a branch library, right through to entire rooms of specialist resources, with Internet, microfilm, microfiche and published resources on hand. The availability of many indexes and resources online, such as Ancestry is making family history service provision increasingly accessible.

Knowledge of available resources in your own library, online and in other collecting institutions, and how to use them, is fundamental to the provision of these services.

Family history involves putting flesh on the skeleton that is produced by genealogy, and involves the study of the historical circumstances and geographical situation in which your ancestor lived. The idea of family history can have different personal meanings for different individuals. This is a core area of public library service delivery.

Many public libraries collect and make accessible family history resources.

Empathy and sensitivity to a patrons personal needs are something that librarians should constantly have in the forefront of their minds when dealing with family historians.

Be aware of cultural issues that may surround family history e.g. resources that may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or printed material may need special mention and sometimes unexpected results may emerge.

Lateral thinking abilities, and the ability to efficiently refer patrons to other collecting institutions, archives and societies are critical skills sets required for library staff working with family historians.

The types of questions you may be asked could include:

• How do I start to research my family history?
• Can you show me how to use Sand's Directory?
• What databases do you have on family history?
• My grandfather from Jamaica was in the RAF in WWII. Where can I find out about this?
• Mum gave me an old locket. It has family photos in it. How can I date the photos to help find out who they might be?
• I finally got a copy of my birth certificate the other day. I just found out my birth mother wasn't the woman who raised me. How do I find out about my birth mother?
• This old farm photo has what looks like a property name on it. How do I find where the property was?
• Pop said he was related to the MacKenzie Clan. What information do you have on the Clan? What was their tartan like?
• My family came from India, what information do you have to help me research my family history?

Family history research tends to be ongoing. It is a good idea to orientate patrons to the resources available and how to use the relevant equipment. Be available for any follow up questions.

Suggestions for such orientation may include:

• Provide patrons with a brief 'tour' of the library’s genealogical resources and equipment.
• Encourage patrons to bring relevant notes, photographs or information they already have when they visit.
• Show them how to use equipment such as a microfiche/film reader, and have clear instructions at hand for their use.
• Refer them to other sources, online resources and relevant institutions / organisations to gain further assistance and specific information.

Exercises for family history first contact

• Spend time learning how to use all the equipment and any databases in your family history section.
• Search for information from the day you were born.
• Are the user instructions clear and easy to follow?

Module 9 Answers and review

Aspects of our lives will be recorded by:

• federal government agencies;
• state government agencies;
• local councils;
• media at different levels;
• personal communities of interest;
• employers etc.

All of these records, usually created for purposes other than family history research, are held by:

• government departments;
• archives;
• museums;
• local councils;
• local studies collections within libraries;
• schools;
• clubs;
• churches,
• families etc.

Check for your local resources, talk with staff at your library about what each of these resources can provide.

• Immigration after Federation
• Armed forces service records
• Federal electoral Rolls
• Post Office records
• ASIO files
• Copyright records
• ABC archives
• Photographs

National Archives of Australia (NAA) is the best place to start for Federal Government Archives. Another example is WW2 Nominal Roll

A good place to start researching First Nations family history, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) have produced an online guide - Finding Your Family and a downloadable kit.

• Birth, death and marriage records
• Immigration prior to Federation
• Hospital records
• Police records
• Criminal records
• State electoral rolls
• Probate registers and papers
• Coroners inquests
• Railway records
• Photographs
• NSW BDM printout

State Records or Public Record Offices exist in each State.

NSW State Archives. Most of the NSW State Archives Collection is in the form of original documents and can be viewed at the State Archives Reading Room, Kingswood. Some records of regional significance are held in NSW Regional Archives Centres, and a selection of popular records have been copied onto microform and are available at our Community Access Points throughout Australia (some NSW public libraries) and at several international locations as part of the Archives Resources Kit (ARK).

Registrar-General's Departments in each state provide access to Birth, Death and Marriage records. e.g. NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages

• Rate books
• Local electoral rolls
• Minute books
• Committee records
• Photographs

Different types of records useful to family history research are created by business. Resources created for public consumption generally have the best chance of survival.

• Newspapers
• Directories
• Employment records
• Films/documentaries/news reports
• Funeral records
• Photographs

Examples of resources created by business agencies, and made available and indexed through Library initiatives:

• Trove Newspaper search 1803-1954
• The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia

Families are often the best repositories of family history lore, and photographs. Documents and photographs relevant to families may be donated to public library collections.

These may include:

• Published family histories
• Letters and diaries
• Photographs
• Heirloom objects

Examples of resources created by family historians, and shared with users world wide:

• Ryerson index to contemporary death notices
• Random acts of genealogical kindness
• Australian cemeteries
• Cora's list of Australasian genealogical websites
• Cyndi's list of genealogical websites
• Society of Australian Genealogists

Organisations with a strong community base may create indexes which assist family historians:

• Family Search
• AlburyCity Cemeteries Search

There may also be local family history groups or historical societies with their own collection of records that you can refer people to.

Exercises for records and referrals

1. What family history resources are in your library or available online?
2. How are your resources indexed or catalogued?
3. How are your resources arranged?
4. Choose two of the listed websites and search for your family name or your local town or suburb.
5. Is there a Family History Society nearby?
6. What are their hours and conditions of access?
7. What resources do they hold?

Module 9 Answers and review

Local Studies collections and Family History collections have common threads.

A major user group of local studies collections is the family historians who are looking for information on families or individuals that once lived in your area. Local Studies resources may help to fill in the gaps for these researchers with photographs, documents etc. In turn, researchers often have valuable material and research which they may share with the library.

See also Module 8 Local Studies

Exercises for family history and local studies research

1. Does your library house the local studies collection separately from the family history collection?
2. Why or why not?
3. How would you use the family history collection to find out about local people or places?

Module 9 Answers and review

Module 9 Answers and review

Reference excellence - self paced reference and information services training

About Reference Excellence

Module 1 Overview of the reference process

Module 2 Reference interview skills and question types

Module 3 People skills, reference behaviours

Module 4 Search strategies

Module 5 Reference resources

Module 6 Ethics and legislation

Module 7 Roving reference

Module 8 Local studies

Module 9 Family history

Module 10 Children

Module 11 Young adults

Module 12 Corporate library services

Module 13 Technology reference services