Tip: Contact a Local

One of my favorite family history advisors, Michael John Neill writes the Genealogy Tip of the Day blog. His advice is almost always spot on. For example, a blog post back on September 27, 2018 suggests that one should "Contact a Local" to keep you from overlooking something important, locate additional sources, or get insights into how things are done or arranged in a particular locale.  Here's his solid piece of advice:

Contact a Local

No matter how long you’ve researched and how adept you are at locating, interpreting, and understanding records, it is always a good idea to communicate with someone familiar with the resources in a location where you’ve never done research before. That “new” county may organize materials in a slightly different fashion, have a finding aid you’ve never encountered, or have other “issues” with their records that may hinder your research if you are unaware of them.

That local may know things about the location that are not “common” knowledge, be aware of others who could be able to assist you, and may give you suggestions on navigating the materials in their local area. It’s a mistake to assume that just because you are familiar with records in some locations, that you’ll know everything about them everywhere.

A good way to stumble on your genealogical research path is to not realize you may need a new map or area guide when your research moves to a new location.

Now he could have been writing about a local being any person you might meet in a locale where your ancestors once lived, but that isn't always the best strategy for learning in an efficient, time sensitive manner about a particular locale's records. The random local person you meet on the street may know diddley-squat about local records. Therefore, I strongly encourage every family historian to ask at the public library and/or historical society about local records first and in advance of any visit you might be planning to the area. Lots of local archives are lightly staffed so unexpected closures can occur. Some archives operate on an intermittent basis or rely upon volunteers who may not keep the archives open on consistent and regular hours. Some archives in academic institutions follow the academic calendar and may be closed or have restricted hours during term breaks. Some archives are only accessible by advance arrangements. Some major archives, such as the South Caroliniana Library and the Georgia Historical Society, are currently being remodeled and updated so access to their respective collections can be limited or not allowed at the present time.  In other words, it is always better to contact the local(s) ahead of time to get the lay of the land, as it were. 

For example, the Research Room will be closed at lunchtime on Tuesday, August 13th due to staff shortage. Visit us 9 AM to Noon, go grab a bite to eat, and return at 1 PM to continue your research. The room will close at 5 PM as per usual. 

 

If you would like to learn about the breadth, scope, arrangement, and whereabouts of records relating to Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper Counties in South Carolina, contact us: bdc@bcgov.net; 843-255-6468.