More About PERSI - The Periodical Source Index

What is PERSI?
The Periodical Source Index, or PERSI, is the largest and most widely-used index of genealogical and historical periodical articles in the world. (Periodicals are simply publications produced regularly as part of a series-magazines, newsletters, journals, etc.) There is an amazing amount of genealogical information and knowledge that is published in these periodicals every year. Created by the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, under the editorship of Michael B. Clegg, PERSI is widely recognized as essential for high-quality genealogy research.

PERSI began as an ambitious project of the Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Their lofty goal was to gather all genealogical periodicals, both past and present, and index their contents. This growing database has become the largest dataset of its kind, containing over 1 .7 million references to helpful articles.

Source Information: Allen County Public Library. Periodical Source Index. Updated semi-annually. [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 1998-. Original data: Allen County Public Library. Periodical Source Index, Fort Wayne, IN: Allen County Public Library Foundation, 1985-.

Where to Go from Here:

Once articles of interest are located in the Periodical Source Index, there are several methods a researcher can then employ to acquire a copy of the full text of the original article(s).

Be sure to record from the index the information about the article you wish to obtain, including article title, periodical title, volume, issue, etc.

Clicking the article's hyper-linked title will reveal the appropriate periodical entry in the PERSI bibliography. This entry lists the name and address of the periodical's publisher. Call or write to the organization or individual to request information about ordering back issues of their publication.

When you find an appropriate citation in PERSI, you will be able to follow a link from the citation to information on the publisher of the periodical.

Other repositories holding this title include: Allen County Public Library, Los Angeles Public Library, Dallas Public Library, Family History Library, Library of Congress, New York Public Library, Newberry Library, New England Historic Genealogical Society Library, Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton Co., State Historical Society of Wisconsin Library

The periodical is the "Essex Institute Historical Collections," also known as "Peabody Essex Museum Collections." At the bottom, you find the publisher's name and address. If the publisher no longer exists, you will be encouraged to check with your local library or historical society for availability of the periodical. There is also a list of other repositories which hold this title included in the information. Check with these repositories before you visit to make sure they have the particular issue/article that you need.

You may also contact the Allen County Public Library, which owns a copy of each periodical indexed in PERSI, for photocopies of articles. A form for ordering photocopies is available at:

http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/database/graphics/order_form.html

Send the form describing the articles to be copied, and provide the full entry from PERSI with the name of the journal. You may request a maximum of six articles at a time. The charge is $7.50 for each letter, pre-paid, plus $0.20 per page copied to be billed to you. Requests are NOT accepted by phone, fax, or e-mail. Mail the completed form to:

Allen County Public Library Foundation
P.O. Box 2270
Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270

Please allow at least eight weeks for processing. Also, be sure to double check your requests, and give the complete citation (Article Title, Periodical Title, Code, Volume, Issue, Date, etc.). Incomplete information may delay processing.

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