The Library with EVERYTHING (and it's near you)

[@Genivaldo_Gueiros]

worldcat saved my life a few times :)

[@AncestryAimee]

Me too!

[@historian12]

Hi! Librarian here who processes Worldcat requests. Just a word of warning about genealogy requests on Worldcat. Many libraries do not allow genealogy and local history books to go out on interlibrary loans. For example, I was trying to get a book on the history of Cumberland County, VA. I found it at 47 libraries on Worldcat. Of all those libraries that owned it, only one was willing to send it out for an interlibrary loan request. Some libraries, particularly university libraries will charge to fill an interlibrary loan request. Your local public library may pass that charge on to you. Interlibrary loan charges can range from $10 to $50 a request. That said, it is still a wonderful resource. You can also request microfilms of newspapers or vital records that aren't yet available online.

[@AncestryAimee]

Thank you for adding that valuable information!

[@meredithjohanson8535]

After finding a book on WorldCat my next step is often to request an Interlibrary Loan from my local public library. In my case, there is no charge, and I can request the book from home. One recent but obscure book was borrowed for me from the Library of Congress and, just like that, I had school rosters with parent names from schools in the 1820's from the town where my ancestors were living. Jackpot!

[@AncestryAimee]

Love it! Thanks for sharing!!

[@patranye]

Using WorldCat has always confounded me. Now I understand more about it. Thanks for the video Aimee!

[@AncestryAimee]

I'm so glad!

[@tanelise4673]

Always wondered what WorldCat was. It was one of those things that seemed too intimidating to bother with - just like the Family Search Catalog used to be - until one day I decided to just jump in with both feet and now I can't get enough of it 😂. Thanks for the video!

[@AncestryAimee]

Love that! Definitely jump in!

[@DouglasInman1]

Thanks Aimee. I always learn something watching your videos!

[@AncestryAimee]

Aw... thank you! So glad to hear that.

[@patrickdeady410]

ACPL Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is my go to place for everything family history oriented!! The fact that I live two miles away makes it easy to use their resources!!

[@AncestryAimee]

You are so lucky!! I've been there! Fantastic library!

[@patranye]

I live nearby to the ACPL also. It's only maybe about 45 minutes away but I've never been there. It is definitely on my to do list of places to go for research.

[@racquelraiford7173]

SO HELPFUL!!!

[@AncestryAimee]

I'm so glad!

[@eburton4146]

Love it! Thanks for the video.

[@AncestryAimee]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for being a member!

[@michaelwillis3589]

Thanks, Aimee. Wow. This video is a wealth of information. I can't wait to check this out. Stay well.

[@AncestryAimee]

Thank you! You too!

[@adammiles8610]

@Aimee, would it be possible to get a video on picking up cold trails due to family wipe out events? I have an ancestor who says he was born in Texas on all his records, but the problem is I don't believe him. Any knowledge of his birth would have come from his Uncle's retelling because i believe everyone died when he was under the age of 5. I have a census with the Grandfather, Mother, and 2 older brothers in AR in 1870, but my ancestor was born in 1872 and i can't seem to bridge the gap to 1890 when I pick him up at age 18. And it doesn't help that the 1870 census says his 2 older brothers were born in AR. Thank you for this channel. It's given me new ideas and new hope that i could crack this but before my grandmother passes. It's been my dream/ goal to solve this for her.

[@AncestryAimee]

That’s an interesting idea for a video! I’ll have to look into that and work on it. Thanks for the suggestion! Good luck with your family!

[@feliciagaffney1998]

It's interesting you have him in 1890. That's usually everyone's lost decade. 😆😆 If the whole family was killed, there could be some newspaper articles telling about a family tragedy. I wonder why he was spared. When I have exhausted all the sources I can find... I usually try Ancestry and look at the trees (hoping to find some with sources!) And see what direction they can send me. Sometimes I can rule out some of their research as wrong, since I already did that. Sometimes I can look into their stuff and realize they are wrong... and other times it can put me on a correct path. I use Ancestry trees as a tool, but for sure not gospel! So many folks just copy stuff they found elsewhere and just plug it in, without verifying anything. It can be helpful to pick up a breadcrumb trail. But then other times... a target person was never researched by anyone else... so, that makes it still difficult.