Some of the most useful genealogy research tools are books and periodicals that have been digitized and can be found free online.
Websites to check out include the HathiTrust Digital Library at hathitrust.org and Internet Archive at Archive.org. You can find many books scanned by FamilySearch.org at familysearch.org/library/books. To read items, you have to sign up for a free account.
More recent periodicals can be found by using PERSI (Periodical Source Index), now via FindmyPast.com/persi. It’s a pay site. Not all genealogy periodicals are scanned and accessible right now, but that’s the plan. Read the information blog on the site.
Many genealogical societies will give you access to digitized back issues of their quarterlies or journals if you become a member. That’s the case with the National Genealogical Society (starting with its first issue in 1912), the Georgia Genealogical Society (for the Quarterly, 1964 through 2015) and the South Carolina Genealogical Society (scgen.org, purchase USB of past journals).
Anyone with access to college and university research sites can find many helpful publications. Check the University of Georgia’s Digital Library of Georgia site, where you’ll find zillions of things for free, including a “Georgia Historic Books” section.
Websites to try out
A lot of newspapers — some 45 million pages — are on fultonsearch.org (an alternative to FultonHistory.com). A lot of books and other links are on Geneanet at en.geneanet.org.
Fall 2019 Calendar
Just a reminder of a couple of major genealogy event coming up: September 21, Diahan Southard, a nationally known DNA expert, will give an all-day DNA seminar in Macon for the Georgia Genealogical Society. To register, go to gagensociety.org.
September 28 is Georgia Archives and Genealogy Day. Check georgiaarchives.org for more on this free event.
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