Who Do You Think You Are?

I have recently started watching a very interesting show on NBC on Friday nights: Who Do You Think You Are? where Hollywood stars are led (by archivists and genealogists) through their families' histories, and along the way, they uncover big secrets or major twists.  So far, I have seen just two episodes: one that follows Rosie O'Donnell to her ancestors' homeland in Ireland, and one featuring Steve Buscemi's great-grandfather's story during the Civil War. 

What does this have to do with the library?  Plenty!  As more and more people become interested in seeking out their own histories, genealogy resources have become more important.  Here at MAPL, we have several options for those embarking on a search of their own.

For those with families with a history in the Matawan/Aberdeen area, the first stop might be to go to our digitized newspapers, The Matawan Journal (1869-1973) and The Independent (1972-2000).  These papers are available from our library's website (http://www.matawanaberdeenlibrary.com/) and contain obituaries and news stories that may be extremely helpful.  The Independent is fully searchable, and because it was digitized from the actual newspapers using the latest grayscale technology, the information is quite clear and very readable.  The older data in The Matawan Journal was digitized from microfilm, which makes it a little harder to navigate, but it is certainly still a viable resource. 

For those whose families lived (or spent time) outside of the area, I would direct them to two databases we subscribe to through Newsbank: America's Genealogy Bank and America's Obituaries and Death Notices.  The Genealogy Bank notes that they have 300+ years of over 1,000 newspapers and other documents available for searching.  Both of these databases are available from our website with a Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library card (go to http://www.matawanaberdeenlibrary.com/, then click on the AVAILABLE RESOURCES link on the left; the electronic resources are listed in alphabetical order). 

Lastly, as I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago, MAPL also hosts a Genealogy Club.  The group meets on the first Thursday of each month at the library at 7pm.  If you are looking for helpful hints or new strategies to assist you in your search, Barb and Diane, our genealogy gurus, would be happy to share their knowledge.  Registration is requested, please see a staff member at the Adult Services desk for details.

I hope that you have the opportunity to use the resources I listed above.  If you need assistance or have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me: kpaone@lmxac.org.