For the novice genealogist, the sheer number of sources and reference works available can be almost overwhelming. The following list is made up predominately of items available at the Oregon State Library. If you are a novice or a seasoned professional, take a look at the references below. Some of the sources are a bit unorthodox as far as genealogy goes, but I think you'll be pleased with the outcome!
Although the Internet does provide some excellent genealogical resources, the primary medium for family history research is still PAPER! This page provides a simple introduction to a set of reference works that may be of help to the novice family history researcher. You just may find a few CD ROMs and URLs too so... happy hunting! The resources are listed in categories below. Within the categories, the resources are not in strict order. This has been done in order to allow the serendipity of their arrangement to lead you to use items you may have never thought of using!
Most entries conform to Author (or editor), Title, Publisher location, Publisher, Date of publication, Number of volumes.
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OSL call #: R 917 .3 Alman 1997 [Reference Room]
Horner, Edith R. [Ed] Almanac of the 50 States: Basic profiles with comparative tables. Palo Alto: Information Publications. 1997
Purpose: For quick facts and statistics about the 50 states.
Authority: Sources listed as Federal Government, and Business / Trade publications.
Scope: Covers general statistical information for the US with some comparative data tables with statistics 1970-1997
Format: Easy to handle, small hardback. Print is slightly small and may be difficult for some eyes
Arrangement: Alphabetical, by state. Within each state, by subject heading: Summary, Geography, Demographics, etc.
Entries: Each state is comprised of 16 columns [2 columns per page, on 8 pages]
Special features: Special comparative tables on blue paper at end of book, comparing certain statistics within various states
Use: Although best suited for contemporary statistical questions, provides user with many geographic and environmental facts, ethnic groups, names of political leaders, etc.
Critique: A well put together reference resource. Not allot of information for the genealogist, but certainly a great quick reference for quick facts.
The World Factbook. Washington D.C. Superintendent of Documents, 1997. 1 vol.
Purpose: For general reference. To provide the user with background information and statistics on the countries of the world
Authority: A publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United State government
Scope: Short descriptions, maps and general statistics about each of the worldís countries
Format: Easy to handle and read. Maps included for visual scale of country
Arrangement: Listings are alphabetical by county
Entries: Each country is listed with statistics on the following categories: Transport, Military, Transitional Issues, Geography, People, Government, Economy, and communication.
Special features: A version is available on CD ROM and the current version is available on the World Wide Web
Use: Useful in finding information about foreign countries, including languages spoken, type of government, political leaders and other statistics.
Critique: Informative and easy to use, but lacks depth and detail. Elements of social culture seem to be omitted.
OSL call #: 911 .73 P28a [on Atlas Table]
Paullin, Charles O. Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States. Baltimore: Carnegie Institution of Washington. 1932. 1 vol.
Purpose: Listed as "a composite work" since it encompasses so many maps and diagrams. For those researching in America. Covers maps and statistical information, boundaries (old and new), commerce. Native Americans and Ethnic groups
Authority: Since there are so many maps and tables from varied sources, they all must but viewed in their own context and on their own merits. Preface explains the sources as being many Federal and private contributors. Many of the maps are facsimiles dating back as much as 500 years
Scope: Covers maps and statistics of America from 1492 to the 1930s
Format: Very Large! Certainly a table book, best on a BIG table! Some print tends to be small, but most maps are easy to see and read
Arrangement: Broken down into dozens of subcategories. Maps listed chronologically
Entries: Maps with descriptions. Text pages of background precede map pages in many sections
Special features: The old map facsimiles a great. Many would be difficult to view otherwise
Use: For gathering historic information and statistics on American localities, migration, ethnic groups, etc.
Critique: A wealth of wonderful resources. Difficult to locate individual maps however. Could use a better index
OSL call #: GS 912 Andriot [on Atlas Table]
Andriot, John L. Township Atlas of the United States: Named Townships. McLean VA: Andriot Associates, 1977. 1 vol.
Purpose: For finding the location of townships, within counties of the 50 states.
Authority: Source of maps listed as Bureau of the Census, 1970
Scope: Named townships and counties in the US in existence in 1970
Format: Phone book size. Not easy to hold. Some maps feature large print
Arrangement: States listed alphabetically
Entries: County locator index, state map, city to county index, county maps
Special features: City to county index helpful if county unknown
Use: For those searching for the location of townships and counties in the US. Handy for browsing regions for adjoining counties/townships
Critique: Easy to use "at a glance." See how counties and townships adjoin one another. Very useful for identifying locations in rural areas
OSL call #: GS 929 . 341s Burke [Genealogy Room]
Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh. Burkeís Irish Family Records. New York; Arco Publishing, 1976, 1 vol.
Purpose: For researching those of Irish ancestry
Authority: Burkeís has a good reputation in the genealogy community and have been publishing since 1833. The de-facto standard works for British Isles peerage and barontage.
Scope: Limited to information on Irish ancestry. Based on the records of 514 prominent Irish families of Royal ancestry
Format: Large, hardbound, phone book size. Really too thick for a single volume. Suffers from binding problems.
Arrangement: Entries are alphabetical by surname. Listing earliest male ancestor for each line to the present [if known]
Entries: Surname, given names, vital dates, descendancy
Special features: Some records contain additional biographical information
Use: Best used by those with evidence leading to Royal ancestry from Ireland
Critique: Somewhat difficult to use due to strange abbreviations. Not for everyone since many are NOT descended of Royalty!
OSL call #: 973.70922 Sifak
Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts On File. 1988, 1 vol.
Purpose: To identify key persons involved or associated in the American Civil War and Civil War era
Authority: Entries appear to be the work of the author. A fairly extensive bibliography is included. Facts On File has the reputation of publishing good quality reference resources.
Scope: Limited to persons involved in the Civil War and of prominence in the era, including authors, politicians, etc.
Format: One Phone book sized volume, but not to thick to hold and use.
Arrangement: Biographies are alphabetized by surname. Includes an excellent index.
Entries: Surname, given names, vital dates, biography. Some entries include photos, drawings or etchings.
Special features: Photos being included are a real plus. Index is great in that it can be used to cross reference biographical sketches
Use: For individuals seeking information about Civil War personalities for biography and background to their genealogical research. A nice companion when working on Civil War service records or pension files.
Critique: Quite a treasure! An amazing resource when trying to untangle the many names associated with the War of the Rebellion!
OSL call #:R 979 .5003 Dicti 2nd Ed. [Reference Room]
Corning, Howard McKinley [Ed.] Dictionary of Oregon History. Portland, Binfords & Mort, 1956, 1 vol.
Purpose: Resource for searching people, places and things in the history of Oregon.
Authority: Originally compiled from the Work Projects Administration "Oregon Writers Project" in the 1930s and early 40s. WPA / OWP hired out of work writers to research and interview on topics related to Oregon history. Many of the original complete files are available at the State Library and the Library of Congress in Washington DC. Further material was added by the editor and others from numerous sources listed in the bibliography.
Scope: Covers the state of Oregon. Persons, places and things in relation to Oregon history.
Format: 7" x 10" hardbound. Easy to use, but font size is quite small.
Arrangement: Entries are arranged alphabetically by topic.
Entries: Varies by topic: Person-name, vitals, information/biography. Place-location and information. Thing-description and other information
Special features: Extensive Oregon history bibliography
Use: Great for background on many aspects of Oregonís history
Critique: Just short of exhaustive [and exhausting!] Great ready reference resource for anyone seeking Oregon history
On the WWW: http://www.kdla.state.ky.us/arch/biblforb.htm [25 Jun 1998]
African American Genealogy: A Bibliography for Beginners
Purpose: A bibliography of resources for African American genealogy
Authority: Webpage is located at the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives
Scope: Although it includes general genealogical resources, the bibliography is predominately for African American resources
Format: A text document in HTML.
Arrangement: General resources and Specific resources. Alphabetical by author or editor
Entries: Author/Editor, Title, Publisher, Date
Special features: Can be printed
Use: A good resource for those working on African American genealogy, a sometimes difficult research topic
Critique: A good collection of sources both general and specific
On the WWW: http://www1.jewishgen.org/infofiles/biblio2.txt [25 Jun 1998]
Bibliography of Jewish Genealogy
Purpose: For those research Jewish genealogy
Authority: Jewishgen is a 501(c)(3) non-profit group focused on helping those with their Jewish ancestry
Scope: Covering some general genealogical sources, but focusing on Jewish family history research
Format: A text file, viewable in a Web Browser like Netscape of Internet Explorer
Arrangement: In categories: How-to, To search for names, To search for places, some resources and ILLs
Entries: Title, author, some annotation, publisher, date
Special features: Can be printed cleanly
Use: To assist the Jewish family history researcher
Critique: A great resource for those beginning or continuing research on their Jewish ancestors
OSL call #: R 427. 97303 Rando [Reference Room]
Lighter, J.E. [Ed] Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang. New York: Random House, 1994. 2 vol.
Purpose: For defining words and phrases often contained in personal letters, transcriptions of interviews, or family stories.
Authority: Random House publishers are known for their quality work
Scope: Limited to American slang. The set is not yet completed, currently only covers A-O
Format: 2 volumes, rather large. Not too thick for their size, but hard to use in hand
Arrangement: Words are listed alphabetically.
Entries: Word, part of speech, definition(s), date(s) of use, source(s), quotation(s)
Special features: Each word having a date of use is helpful in making sure you are reading the correct definition
Use: Excellent for the researcher working with narratives, interviews or testimonies
Critique: Excellent resource overall, but I found myself wanting words that fell between P-Z (not yet published)
OSL call #: [Not owned by OSL]
Chorzempa, Rosemary A. Morbus: Why and How our Ancestors Died. Chicago: Polish Genealogical Society of America, 1991, 1 vol.
Purpose: "A genealogist's dictionary of terms found in vital records with descriptions of the diseases as they relate to the health of our ancestors"
Authority: Compiled by the Polish Genealogical Society of America, a well respected ethnic genealogical society.
Scope: Defines terms related to death and disease from the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe and America
Format: Thin, 8 1/2 X 11, booklet. Large, clear print. Front defines terms, back offers various language term translation
Arrangement: Alphabetical by term
Entries: Term, Definition
Special features: Features most major diseases / causes of death in German, Russian, Polish and Latin
Use: For deciphering vital records, church records and other records listing cause of death
Critique: Small but feature packed. The multiple language section is very helpful as many earlier records are found in Latin or the language of the region.
OSL call #: R 027 America [Reference Room]
American Library Directory 1997-1998. R.R. Bowker. New Providence: 1998 (50th ed.) 2 vol.
Purpose: Listing of Public, Academic, Government and Special libraries in the US, Canada and Mexico
Authority: R.R. Bowker is a well known library/reference publisher
Scope: Limited to North America
Format: Telephone book size. Quite thick. Best for table use
Arrangement: Geographic, alphabetical by state/region/province, city, institute of library
Entries: Include library name, address, telephone number, personnel, and other library statistics
Special features: Personnel directory listed in the back of the publication
Use: For locating libraries in North America. Good resource to plan a genealogy research trip
Critique: Good resource for locating libraries and library information
OSL call #: R 973 .025 Direc [Reference Room]
Wheeler, Mary Bray [Ed] Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States & Canada
Purpose: For locating Historical Societies and groups in US or Canadian localities
Authority: Published by the American Association for State and Local History
Scope: Limited to US and Canadian societies in 1990; some addresses and numbers may be outdated
Format: Phone book size, soft cover.
Arrangement: States are listed alphabetically. Groups listed alphabetically within state
Entries: State, city, organization, county
Special features: Cross reference index lists organization by type of historical institution
Use: For locating regional or specialty societies to assist in research at the local level
Critique: A wonderful resource if information is current. Lacking email or webpage information
OSL call #: On the WWW: http://www.preplannet.com [23 Jul 1998]
The Preplanning Network
Purpose: A resource for locating cemeteries, funeral homes and monument works in the US and Canada
Authority: Appears to be a for profit company, networking and advertising cemetery, mortuary and monument works companies. In the index portions, there is not much of an issue of bias.
Scope: Covers the United States and Canadian death care industry resources. Only some businesses are listed
Format: The Websites is broken down into subcategories. Nice looking design. Intuitive layout that is easy to follow
Arrangement: By subcategory, then by state
Entries: Name of business, URL if applicable, address, phone number
Use: Useful in locating the address or phone of a mortuary, cemetery of monument works
Critique: Good resource. Major shortcoming is that it doesnít list all death care businesses, just selected ones. Pioneer and rural cemeteries [i.e. Inactive] not likely to be included
OSL call #: 203 World
Barrett, David B. [Ed] World Christian Encyclopedia. Oxford. Oxford University Press. 1982, 1 vol.
Purpose: For background information on religious movements and groups throughout the world
Authority: Oxford University Press is known for excellence in regards to religious studies.
Scope: Religious movements and groups. Focuses on the last 100 years, but gives historic background on most movements.
Format: Large, coffee table book. Table use is necessary
Arrangement: The first part of the book is alphabetically by country. Back of the book includes a dictionary and cross reference index
Entries: Country, secular data, religious data, some photos, flags and maps
Special features: World religious organization address section
Use: Good reference source for researching foreign ancestors and for those know to have been involved in a particular religion or sect.
Critique: Overall, a good source for background research. Not unduly biased, but certainly written from a Christian perspective
OSL call #: R 979 .5003 McArt 6th ed. [Reference Room]
McArthur, Lewis L., Oregon Geographic Names. Portland: Oregon Historical Society Press
Purpose: For those seeking the location and background of Oregon localities
Authority: Lewis McArthur was appointed by Oregonís Governor Oswald West to the Geographic Names board. His background in Oregon was with geographic work for the Oregon Electric Railway and Pacific Power and Light.
Scope: Limited to localities in the state of Oregon. Often only one aspect of a locality will be discussed [Drew creek, but not Drew plains or Drew reservoir]
Format: Handbook size, hardbound. Small enough to be easy to use while held
Arrangement: Alphabetical by location name
Entries: Geographic name or feature, county, information and history of site
Special features: Nice cross reference index included.
Use: Ready reference source for those seeking information on Oregon localities
Critique: Excellent resource. Great for tracking down locations mentioned in interviews or narratives
OSL call #: GS 914. 2 Smith [Genealogy Room]
Smith, Frank. A Genealogical Gazetteer of England. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1968. 1 vol.
Purpose: A gazetteer for those searching ancestral locations in England.
Authority: Genealogical Publishing Company known for quality genealogical reference works. Author authority on English and Welsh research
Scope: Based on works of the 1830s and early 1900s. Caveat in that the book uses old locality spellings that may not be the same today
Format: Small, easy to use size. Contains good introduction and information about original sources
Arrangement: Alphabetical, in the order of the original sources
Entries: Place name, description, date of parish registration [bef 1813], county, distance from next largest place, population in 1831, Ecclesiastical Parish affiliation, listing of non-conformist group [if applicable], any corrections or additions that should be noted
Special features: This book makes available otherwise rare or unavailable content.
Use: For those wanting to find obscure, small and currently non-existent localities in England.
Critique: Great resource when working in old English records that quote "contemporary" sources
OSL call #: [Not owned by OSL]
Early American Gazetteer 1833 and 1853 editions. GenRef. 1996 1 CD ROM
Purpose: For locating information on early American localities
Authority: Veracity rests on original sources. Since these are scanned images of the original documents, it can safely be assumed they are true to the originals.
Scope: Contains scanned images of Gazetteer of the United States of America, 1833 by William Darby and Theodore Dwight, Jr. and A Gazetteer of the United States of America, 1853 by John Hayward. It also includes the data of the 1996 GNIS.
Format: One CD ROM disc that operates in a Windows environment. There are help files, but no manual. The search interface is quite simple, but effective.
Arrangement: The search interface features a pull down menu of the 3 choices. Typing in a word or phrase locates an item.
Double clicking on the item brings up the scanned image of the page with the searched contents
Entries: Entries include name of feature, location and other information
Special features: One setting allows the searching of both old gazetteers at a time
Use: Great for quick look-ups when locality information is needed
Critique: A handy reference item when left open on desktop. For looking up one or two places, a paper copy would be faster. It does make these old resources available as they are otherwise out of print
OSL call #: [Not owned by OSL]
Cerny, Johni and Arlene Eakle. Ancestry's Guide to Research: Case Studies in American Genealogy. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1985, 1 vol.
Purpose: A Primer for the novice to intermediate genealogist. A how-to for searching American records and compiling a documented lineage
Authority: Both the publisher and authors are known for excellence in the genealogical field
Scope: Covers basics of American genealogical research and documentation standards
Format: Handbook size, soft cover. Easy to hold and use. Easy to read font and font size.
Arrangement: Organized in chapters. First half covers theory, second half covers particular records types and research problems.
Entries: Within each chapter are both textual and visual information. The images are very appropriate and reinforce the text
Special features: The book is written in the "case study" format, where the text follows actual research problems and situations.
Use: An excellent resource when learning the hows and whys of American genealogy. Would work well in a genealogy class setting.
Critique: My favorite genealogy how-to book! Well put together and offers the reader a complete "research experience." The content is presented in a way that makes both reading and learning enjoyable as well as memorable. A must for the new genealogist! It does lack information on online/electronic source however.
OSL call #: [Not owned by OSL]
Ancestry Reference Library CD ROM. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1996?, 1 CD ROM
Purpose: For the genealogist looking for how-to information
Authority: Ancestry publications has been publishing quality genealogical material for years. Each item in this CD ROM should be judged on its own merit, but by virtue of authorship alone these works are high quality standards within the genealogy field
Scope: The Source-A Guidebook of American Genealogy, The Library-A Guide to the LDS Family History Library, The Library of Congress-A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research, Ancestryís Red Book, The Archives-A Guide to the National Archives Field Branches. All these books previously available only in paper form.
Format: One CD ROM disc that runs in the Windows environment. Comes with a booklet and online help. Operates in the FOLIO Bound Views interface
Arrangement: The main screen features the above list of works. By double clicking on one of them, the table of contents opens for the specific work and double clicking again takes you to the section in full text.
Entries: Ancestryís Red Book offers complete chapters on each state. The Source has chapters on major record sources, published genealogical sources, etc. The Library of Congress has chapter on the layout and cataloging of the library, etc.
Special features: The CD ROM offers the facility to search the whole set of works in full text.
Use: The set is a must for the novice genealogist. It features information on all the main points of research available, and how-to information in order to get started.
Critique: An excellent CD ROM, built of the best genealogy how-to books published. Some may prefer paper copies for ease of use, but the search features on the disc make it a real powerhouse!
OSL call #: GS 929 .373 Passe [Genealogy Room]
Filby, William P. [Editor]. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index. Detroit: Gale, 1981-1997+. 22 vol. and growing!
Purpose: Genealogical researchers looking for sources for passenger lists and immigration records.
Authority: Gale has a good reputation for quality publications. William P. Filby has made quite a name for himself with these publications and his board includes the like of Dr. Arlene Eakle also known for quality research works.
Scope: Includes records of immigrations from various sources including passenger lists and immigrant documents.
Format: The books are rather large, heavy and bulky; telephone book size. As they are updated each year with supplements, these editions need to be checked as well as the main books.
Arrangement: Alphabetical index. Nicely organized, giving reference to original sources.
Entries: Surname, first name, middle name, port of entry, year, source code.
Special features: Unlike many immigration indexes, these do not require the researcher to know the year of arrival! Updated yearly.
Use: This resource is a print standard for the family historian. The set [known as "Filby" books] indexes a vast number of immigration sources going back to Americaís first colonies. Far from complete, the books do an excellent job in collecting references to original and compiled sources. A great place to check earliest known ancestor!
Critique: Good, quick reference. Not all sources quoted are authoritative. Some errors and inaccuracies evident with use.
OSL call #: CD in Genealogy room [limited paper vols.: GS 929. 1016 Perio]
Allen county Public Library. PERSI. CD ROM. Salt Lake City: Ancestry Inc. 1997
Purpose: Index for searching surnames, persons, localities and genealogy topics
Authority: Staff and volunteers of the Allen county, IN Public Library
Scope: Index of genealogy and local history periodicals back to 1800 [some earlier]
Format: Single CD ROM. Windows operating system compatible using the FOLIO Bound Views interface
Arrangement: Offers multiple search options including, keyword, surname, locality, how to, and by periodical name and issue
Entries: Depending on type of search; locality, article title, periodical, vol., holdings information
Special features: General keyword search for all fields. Makes searching multitudinous periodicals possible
Use: For searching information on specialized articles for an individual, surname, locality or family history topic
Critique: Excellent resource for locating hard to find articles. Easier to use in the CD ROM form. Biggest problem being that most titles will have to be Inter Library Loaned
OSL call #: CD ROM in Genealogy Room
Automated Archives. U.S. Census Index Series: New York 1860, CD ROM #21. ? , 1991
Purpose: An index for searching the individuals on the 1860 Federal Population Census for the state of New York
Authority: Source of index is Accelerated Indexing System Inc. Census indexes done from microfilmed Census originals in the 1970s. The introduction indicates that the index is known to have a 20% error rate. Typos and incorrect name spellings are common.
Scope: New York state rolls of the Federal Population Census for 1860. Only as accurate as the indexers and the clarity of the microfilming would allow.
Format: One of "Automated Archives" several hundred CD ROMs. This title uses a DOS interface. Some online help included
Arrangement: Index accessed via a simple search interface allowing multiple element search
Entries: Surname, first name, county, page, township or town
Special features: Search engine allows the use of words in proximity, on same page and the use of wildcards
Use: For those searching for ancestors or individuals thought to be in New York state around 1860
Critique: A good reference source, but sometimes slower to use than the paper versions. Not a replacement for viewing the original census. Verify accuracy by searching original National Archives Census microfilm.
On the WWW: http://www.gendex.com [20 Jul 1998]
Bibliographic Information: GenDex
Purpose: To assist those searching the Internet for genealogical information on specific persons
Authority: GenDex was developed by Gene Stark. It is a "bot" generated index of genealogy that is available on the WWW. Veracity can vary from excellent to in-error based on the fact the entries are posted by individuals world wide. Because of this, GenDex is an excellent resource, but should not be taken as fact with documented research. NOTE: some GenDex submitters list their research sources. These are excellent clues to the quality of their research.
Scope: Covers submitted/posted genealogies that comply to the format output of the GED2HTML program created by Gene Stark. This means that some data available on the web is not indexed here.
Format: Through a series of pages, the user chooses the surname and then the range of given names in which the individual being sought would fall alphabetically
Arrangement: Once the user narrows his search to a range of names, a list comes up giving first and last names on the left hand column
Entries: Given name, surname, birth date, birth place, death date, death place, submitter
Special features: By clicking on the individual's name in the index, you are sent to the researcher's homepage where further data on the individual can be found
Use: Great for finding if others are researching the same individuals you are.
Critique: GenDex is a powerful tool, but can be misleading. All data located through the index needs to be thoroughly checked and documented to avoid errors.
On the WWW at: http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/Genea/rslsearch.pl [20 Jul 1998]
Bibliographic Information: Roots Surname List (RSL)
Purpose: An index to help genealogist network when researching common surnames
Authority: RSL is really an index of researchers tied to the surnames they are working on. In this way, the information is accurate as far as it was submitted correctly and that the address, email and telephone information is still correct. RSL's policy is to check up with submitters once a year, to keep the listing information up-to-date. The list itself was started and is still partially maintained by the Rand Corporation's genealogy club.
Scope: Contains surnames of world wide origins and the researchers currently working on them
Format: The main screen allows entry of a surname. You also can enter a locality to narrow the search
Arrangement: Once in the index, a list of surnames appear with locality and contact data
Entries: Surname, earliest date known, latest date known, localities, submitter
Special features: The main screen allows entry of as little as 2 letters of the name, in order to pick up on differing spellings. If the submitter has a web page, the index will link you to it!
Use: This index is what genealogy on the Internet is about; NETWORKING!!! A great way to locate others working on the same family name
Critique: An excellent (one of my favorite!) resource. This index has come a long way from its incarnation as an email only project, and is still one of the most important to scholarly genealogical research.
On the WWW: http://www.usgenweb.org/ [20 Jul 1998]
Bibliographic Information: USGenWeb
Purpose: To link researchers that are focusing on US localities to individuals and organizations with web pages on those same places
Authority: Varies site to site. The GenWeb (both USGenWeb and WorldGenWeb) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization devoted to genealogical research
Scope: Covers localities in the United States. The WorldGenWeb sister project does the same for the rest of the world
Format: From the main pages you can link to either a map or a text listing of states to choose from
Arrangement: Once you have chosen map or text from the main page, then you choose which state to search. Al the states main pages are a bit different, but usually list the counties. Clicking on a county sends you to their page
Entries: Most county pages offer information on vital records, land records, census records, tax lists, queries, pioneer surnames, etc.
Special features:
Use: For the researcher that knows the locality an ancestor came from and wants to explore what "local" records might be available
Critique: Another excellent online resource! Not all counties are complete. Some counties don's have pages at all. As this is an all non-profit production, most work is done on a volunteer basis.
On the WWW: http://www.sos.state.or.us/BlueBook/1997_98/toc.htm [20 Jul 1998]
Bibliographic Information: Oregon Blue Book
Purpose: To provide information about Oregon's history, government and other vital information including current legislators.
Authority: Secretary of State, State of Oregon. Located on a state server.
Scope: Oregon related information 1997-1998. Also covers aspects of Oregon's history back to 1804.
Format: A series of web pages based on the content and layout of the printed edition
Arrangement: Broken down into sections covering Introduction, Judicial, Legislative, Finances, Education, Arts and Sciences, etc.
Entries:Like the print version, covers some background on each topic. Most entries provide quick statistics and contact information. Executive lists individual by office and links to a separate page with photo and biography
Special features: Infoseek full text search interface
Use: For quick facts on Oregon. Identifies legislators by areas represented
Critique: Not allot of genealogical information here, but great as background to the state of Oregon. Helpful in locating groups, organizations and landmarks as well
NOTE: As I was unable to find varied and/or electronic versions of all of
the above resources,
I decided to review the following CD ROM title.
OSL call #:[625. 5 Micro (1985) older edition ]
Microsoft Bookshelf 95: Multimedia Reference Library. CD ROM. Redmond WA: Microsoft, 1995. 1 CD ROM
Purpose: To provide handy access to a number of standard reference works in 1 CD ROM
Authority: Microsoft has a good reputation with its Encarta encyclopedia and has chosen titles that fulfill the disc's ready reference nature. As with many of the above resources, the titles on this disc need to be taken each on their own merit. Judging from my familiarity with most of these titles in print, I believe them to be accepted standards. This version being 1995, has been updated several times as it is released annually.
Scope: The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition,
1992
The Original Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases (Americanized
Version), 1994
The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations, 1993
The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, Third Edition, 1995
Hammond Atlas of the World, ?
The People's Chronology, 1994
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1995, 1994
Format: 1 CD ROM with the "Microsoft Home" search interface (in common with Encarta and other Microsoft reference products.
Arrangement: The main screen offers a set of tabs featuring: Contents, Find, Gallery, Back list, Year in review. At the top of the screen the books contained in the collection are shown. Searching can be done from within one title or all simultaneously
Entries: Content varies by title. Some feature multimedia; sound, video, picture.
Special features: Multimedia is a great addition to the text. The all-in-one search is very useful as well
Use: A good general ready reference resource.
Critique: A powerful collection of works. I usually find it faster to look something up in a specific print work, but the CD ROM is excellent when you want several sources at once.
Created for the School of Library and Information
Management [Emporia KS]
Course LI813XO, Oregon Cohort and the Oregon State Library
by
Christopher
D. Rumbaugh
"Permission to copy granted for educational use"
Updated 24 Sep 1998