Book Ideas for Genealogists

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​This time of the year…winter…makes me want to curl up with a good book. If you’re like me, you might have several genealogy books, but in my world you can never have too many books. Let’s look at book ideas.

​FamilyTree Magazine has a great list of genealogy books that you can review. See how many are already on your shelf or need to be. Or if you have a family historian in your family, perhaps you’ll discover a gift idea. You can view the article here. It could be that it is time to donate books that you no longer need. Remember your local historical societies. Most welcome donations and if yours includes duplicates, sometimes they sell used books for additional funds. Check ahead.
 
If you’re looking for access to genealogy materials or local histories, try searching at these sites. I’ve been surprised at what is available for free in digital format.
 
Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine
The Library of Congress
Digital Public Library of America (dp.la)
HathiTrust Digital Library | Millions of books online
About Google Books – Google Books
 
Remember to check out local resources such as libraries and genealogy & historical societies. They often have books that are no longer in print or available. Remember to check out their websites too. They sometimes have entire books available. I’ve included the Walsh County Historical Society because they have their four-volume county history book available digitally for free.
 
NDSU Archives
Resources - Walsh County Historical Society (walshcountyhistory.com)
Library Holdings | Faqs | Red River Valley Genealogical Society | United States (rrvgs.org)
 
I hope that these sites will give you some ideas for books you’d like to discover and read. Just like reading a good novel again, our perspective changes and revisiting a genealogy book may give us new thoughts and ideas. Happy reading!