Mini-Project: Plan a Visit

If you've made it this far, our hope is that you're ready to take your research offline and into the brick-and-mortar libraries and archives that have the collections, services, and knowledgeable staff that can take your research to the next level. For this Mini-Project, we're going to encourage you to plan a visit to a local repository and become acquainted with what it has to offer.

Identify your repository.

You may already have a repository in mind, such as your local public library or state historical society. If you don't have one in mind, see if someone has already identified one for you in the collaborative local resource directory we put together earlier in this module. If one isn't listed there, a strategic Google search that includes your ZIP code should do the trick [e.g., "genealogy research room 27109"]. And hey, once you find one, why not consider adding it to that directory, eh?

Do your homework.

There would be few things worse than to show up to your state library after driving for an hour, only to find out that the library closed two hours ago. OK, well there are a lot of things worse than that, but it could still kill an entire day and set you back in your research. Before you get in your car, find out more about where you're going. What are their hours? What's the parking situation? Will you need to get a library card before visiting? Will you need to bring cash for photocopies?

To make this easier, we've created a handy worksheet for you to print out. This will make sure you ask all of the important questions, and when you're done, you can file it away with your research log along with notes about your visit. Note: you're not "turning in" this worksheet anywhere! This is simply an easy way to get all the relevant info down in one place.

Download the repository information worksheet (.docx)

See an example of a completed repository info sheet (.pdf)

Schedule your visit.

Once you have all the details, find a time for your visit during your destination's operating hours. Keep in mind that the kind of research you're getting into can take hours at a time--budget at least an afternoon, if not an entire Saturday. It might not be a bad idea to call ahead to your repository to make sure that there aren't any unadvertised events or hours changes that could affect your visit.

Talk to the nice people.

You know that librarians and archivists like to help people, right? Most of us got into this profession not because we like books (although we do), but because we like to help people learn. Most of the librarians and archivists we know will be more than happy to get you started on your research. Talk to them! Tell them your research goals and what you've learned so far. They can give you an overview of the collection and can help you make the best use of your time.

Stay organized.

We're just going to go ahead and suggest this for every part of the process. If you find a helpful document, make reference to it in your research log, make a photocopy of it, attach it to your notes, and file it away. Now's no time to get sloppy, soldier.

Good luck!

In the next module, you'll have a chance to share how your visit went. Have fun, and happy researching!

To move on to the next section, click "Next" in the bottom right.

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