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Subject: Stuff you won't find in the search engines
Date: Tue, 25 May 1999 11:14:08 EDT

GREAT! #5
--->Genealogy Research Easy Access Tip!
This information is excerpted from "How to Do Research on the Internet"
http://www.researchonline.net/res1.htm
Permission is explicitly granted to repost this message to other maling lists.


There are a number of things you can now access via the internet that you
will not find using the search engines. For this GREAT! tip, I am confining
the term "search engine" to the more commonly designated search engines, such
as Yahoo, Excite, et. al. and the 50 or so specialized search engines that
deal specifically with genealogy materials.

When I began teaching this course back in 1996, Yahoo was the only available
search engine not accessible via TELNET, and it had an amazing 100,000 +
entries. It's simply amazing how things have changed in three years and how
many new researchers coming on line now have never used or even heard of
Telnet.

You will access various kinds of materials in your research. These
materials include books, manuscripts, artifacts, maps and gazeteers. These
materials are classified as primary or secondary sources. Any item which is
original, an autobiography, journal, census or tax record, will, land tract,
etc. is considered a primary source and is generally more reliable than
secondary sources, histories, transcriptions of records, indexes, etc.

Simply stated, local libraries throughout the country are the
protectors of our cultural heritage. Hidden jewels can be found in the
endangered primary source materials of their collections. For example, books
describing the historical development of an area are invaluable. These
materials can include the histories and genealogies of persons and families,
as well as histories of businesses. Likewise, directories of all
kinds--telephone, city, business, and church membership--are especially
helpful.

Now the Internet introduces remote searching of online catalogs.
Additional reasons for checking other library catalogs and library home pages
are: to identify unique or specialized resources not readily available
elsewhere; to find items most likely to be in a local library servicing the
geographic area you're researching; to obtain these items or copies of
selected reference materials (which correspond to your research needs)
through interlibrary loan; and to identify key resources outside the remote
library that may assist you in your research.

Several Web sites provide directory listings of the growing number of
library catalogs accessible via the Internet. Although the search format
varies among library catalogs, the remainder of this lesson concentrates on
making it easier to find the needed information.

Use one of the following Web site directories to locate a library in
the geographic area of interest:

http://library.usask.ca/hywebcat/
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/staff/morgan/alcuin/wwwed-catalogs.html
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/siteindex.html
http://lcweb.loc.gov/z3950/gateway.html
http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7ekjostert/archives.html

The above sites represent a sample of the many libraries worldwide
that are bringing their catalogs online. Instructions are provided at each
location to help you get into each library catalog. Follow the instructions
on the catalog screen to search, to get help, and to exit the catalog.
Accessing Via the Internet

There are a variety of ways to access library catalogs via the
Internet using different protocols/software packages to act as a client to a
host server. These include standard Web Access (Z39.50), Telnet, Telnet 3270,
FTP, and dial-up access. This example focuses on TELNET access.
Telnet:

Many online library catalogs use Telnet as their connection tool
because it is available on all hosts that have realtime connections to the
Internet. As a basic communication tool of the Internet, it allows users to
connect to hosts, usually at the base level and at the login prompt level.

A large amount of the information online is still available via Telnet access
only. You'll want to become acquainted with this important tool. The first
thing you must do is configure your browser to use Telnet.

For Windows 95/98 and Netscape

In Netscape choose Options|General Preferences|Apps. Enter TELNET.EXE.

Your system is now configured to use the built-in Telnet program to access
these sites.

For Windows 95/98 and Internet Explorer

Your system is already configured to use Telnet. No configuration is required.
Getting the Most Out of Online Catalogs

Upon arrival at the library catalog or library home page, read the
introductory information. This narrative should give practical advice on
getting help, getting around (commands used to navigate within the catalog),
and conducting a search (example searches and special features). In addition,
see if the library has created special online indexes for portions of their
collections that are not included in their online catalog. If not, try to
determine what types of library holdings, such as older materials, are not
represented in the online catalog.

There are four steps you should follow to maximize your use of these
online catalogs.

Step 1: Summarize your search topic.
Step 2: Identify key concepts.
Step 3: Select terms.
Step 4: Combine terms (advanced searching/boolean operators).

Step 1: Summarize Your Search Topic

Summarize your search topic in one or two phrases or sentences. State
what you want to find information on. For example:

I want to find information on early Aiken County, SC and surrounding
areas.

Step 2: Identify Key Concepts

Identify two or three main concepts. For example:

I want to find information on:

Aiken plantations
Hammond family
Edgefield district
Revolutionary War
Early plantation life

Step 3: Select Terms

List keywords that describe concepts you have identified. Subject
terms can be keywords, synonyms, or variant forms of a word. You can use
dictionaries and thesauruses to help you in selecting the appropriate terms.

Carolina plantations
Aiken County history
Hammond
Butler
Edgefield County history
The American Revolution

Note that the terms introduce three important concepts that are
critical to zeroing in on your area of research:

1. Since we are researching before the Revolutionary War, all of the area
that is now North and South Carolina was referred to as Carolina. At the
beginning of the war, the split occurred with North Carolina initially siding
with the colonists and South Carolina with the British.

2. Aiken County, where the current Hammond plantation is located, was known
as Edgefield District, and then Edgefield County prior to 1871.

3. Although my particular interest is in the Hammond family, it is important
to know the other family names that intermarried as family groups and
religious/ethnic groups migrated together.

Step 4: Combine Terms

Connect terms using advanced search techniques (and/or adjacency).
Online Search Strategies

The three online search strategies explained in this section are
keyword searching, subject heading searching, and call number searching.

Forming a Keyword Search Strategy

Before starting a library catalog or OPAC search, it is helpful to
clarify what information you are seeking. Be creative in constructing your
keyword searches to discover items that you might otherwise miss. A keyword
search provides flexibility in a number of ways:

o It allows you to combine key concepts.
o It allows you to use everyday language or synonyms in lieu of
designated subject headings.
o It checks all fields of every record.
Where Do I Go from Here

Once you have identified a book you need to physically access,
contact your local librarian with the details of the book: its title, author,
publisher, and call number. The library will then request the book via
interlibrary loan. Some books do not circulate via interlibrary loan. In that
case, you may request that the holding library copy pertinent pages for you.
Generally, there is a nominal copy charge for this service.


GREAT! #5
--->Genealogy Research Easy Access Tip!
This information is excerpted from "How to Do Research on the Internet"
http://www.researchonline.net/res1.htm
Permission is explicitly granted to repost this message to other maling lists.

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