For genealogists, the learning process is never-ending. The explosion of information on the Internet lures family historians into the so-called high-tech world, where we become acquainted with PCs, e-mail, and the Web. But perhaps it is this accretion of knowledge and the challenge of investigating new things that make this hobby so fascinating and rewarding, and keep us young.
However, if you're lost on the Internet, don't speak Geek and can't figure out where all the "good'' genealogy material on the Web is, there's help in the form of another of those popular "Dummy'' books.
Genealogy Online for Dummies, by Matthew L. Helm and April Leigh Helm, is a recent addition to this genre. It is available nationwide in book stores ($24.99), by phone (800) 762- 2974 and on the Web at: http://www.idgbooks.com.
It is divided into five parts:
-- Getting Your Act Together
-- Finding the Elusive Records
-- Maximizing Research Resources
-- The Part of Tens
-- Appendixes
Beginning genealogists and those new to Internet research should pay close attention to the tips in Parts 1 and 2 pertaining to the groundwork that's necessary to conduct successful genealogical search. There you will find valuable pointers about surnames, geographical locations, ethnic research, and government records.
Part 4, "The Part of Tens'', includes:
-- Ten genealogical publications on the Internet
-- Ten things to remember when designing your genealogical Web page
-- Ten sites for genealogy beginners
-- Ten tips for genealogical smooth sailing. The book includes a nice collection of web sites in its "yellow pages'' -- called the Genealogy Online for Dummies Internet Directory -- with a listing of various sites and descriptions of them.
You can have fun exploring the Web by using this directory. Its section on search engines will enable you to get the most out of these information-gathering robots (sometimes called spiders). A common mistake of novice online genealogists is to go to a search engine and type in a surname of interest or "genealogy'' and then be overwhelmed by the thousands -- even hundreds of thousands -- of results. Follow the tips in this section to avoid this and other problems.
The book comes with a CD, which includes some samples of various commercial or shareware programs (Windows and Mac versions), multimedia tools, and utilities that genealogists will find useful.
Genealogy Starter Kit
Not everything is on the Web or on a computer, and for those like myself who love books (it is difficult to carry my laptop everywhere with me), you can't go wrong with the latest version of Genealogy Starter Kit by William Dollarhide.
This second edition of the popular 1994 book includes the basics of genealogical research, plus:
-- Where to find more information (names and addresses of specific repositories in the U.S.)
-- A list of the top genealogy reference books
-- Some master forms for keeping track of information as you gather it. There are both blank forms and samples of completed ones to guide you.
This 48-page guide (8 1/2" x 11") is well written. It makes a perfect Christmas or birthday gift for the budding genealogists in your family. You can obtain copies ($13.45 postpaid) from Genealogical Publishing Co., 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202-3897; (800) 296-6687 or on the Web at: http://www.genealogybookshop.com/genealogybookshop/index.html.
(Myra Gormley's latest book, Prima's Official Companion to Family Tree Maker, ($24.99) is available at bookstores and computer outlets nationwide.)
(c) 1998, Los Angeles Times Syndicate
Myra Vanderpool Gormley and Julie Case are co-editors of Missing Links, a free weekly genealogy e-zine. To subscribe, send your request to: Missing Links Newsletter
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