So many excellent new genealogy-related books have been published in the last few years that I started thinking about when I last shared my recommendations for an at-home reference library.

I was really surprised to learn that my original recommendations post was way back in 2015!

While those books have stood the test of time, 2015 is the dinosaur age compared to the amount of new information that has become available, in both paper and digital formats so it’s time to add some more modern recommendations to the original list from a decade ago.

I would highly recommend serious researchers to consider these titles to their personal collections:

1. American Migration Routes, Part I: Indian Paths, Post Roads & Wagon Roads by William Dollarhide, Family Roots Publishing Company, 2022 [Paperback $39.15, PDF $27.39 or Bundle of Both, $49.45]
2. Genealogy Standards, Second Edition Revised by the Board for Certification of Genealogists, 2019 [Paperback $16.98, Kindle $16.13}
3. Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide by Diane Elder and Nicole Dyer, Family Locket Books, 2018 [Paperback $22.99]
4. Research Like a Pro with AI Genealogy Workbook by Nicole Dyer and Diana Elder, Family Locket Books, Highland, Utah, 2025
5. Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist’s Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence by Diana Elder, Dicole Dyer and Robin Wirthlin, Family Locket Books, 2021 [Paperback $34.99]
6. Telling Her Story: A Guide to Researching and Writing About Women of the Past by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, Scattered Leaves Press, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2024 [Paperback $24.99]
7. Your Stripped Bare Guide to Citing & Using History Sources by Elizabeth Shown Mills, Genealogical Publishing Company, 2025 [Paperback $27.50, Bookshelf eBook (read the terms as it’s not a regular download) $19.50]

There are also a handful of excellent books that pertain to specific research interests. If these fit you, they are highly recommended:

1. New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer, Parts One and Two – Revised by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 2017 [Paperback $120.00, Digital $79.00 if not a member of NYGBS]
2. Workbook for Research in Galicia, Austria-Hungary by Michelle Chubenko, 2024 [Digital PDF $40.00]

Some of these books might be found in used condition on websites like Amazon or Abe Books.

Lastly, books cost money, but there are fabulous books that are out of copyright and freely available to access and/or download on sites like Internet Archive, FamilySearch and Google books.

Not only are they free, but digitized books don’t require any physical space on a bookshelf. Set up a new folder – Genealogy Library – and start searching out books that will help expand your family tree and tell your ancestors’ stories.

I’ve touched on this topic in the past, mostly with a focus on hard copies of genealogy books that should be in a researcher’s reference library.

However, as much as I love to hold and browse through books in my hand, they do take up a lot of space. Also, there are a number of genealogy books that I use for a specific family or time period that would be great to own, but a costly venture for as many as I might like to have. That also goes back to the issue of space.

Technology has provided us with an excellent alternative – digital options for our reference library.

What types of materials are part of my reference library?

1. Webinar Handouts – Easy to save and always available to read over
2. Conference Syllabi – Like webinar handouts, easy to access at home
3. Theses and Dissertations on topics related to my research – Some colleges are posting links to theses and dissertations on their websites and allow public downloads. I only have a handful of these and they pertain to social/cultural topics.
4. How to Read Old Handwriting – colonial American, English, German and Scandinavian cursive script
5. Professional Journal Articles – e.g. The Register from NEHGS and The American Genealogist
6. Maps – Digital versions for places of interest. Also, I have a diagram of how to determine placement in PLSS (township, range and section) properties
7. Classic Books – e.g. The Source and Red Book. Years ago, I found a copy place (online) in San Francisco that would PDF books. I shopped the books to them and they created excellent PDF versions to email back to me. The downside is that this is legal only because my personal copy was destroyed in the process and the PDF is for my own personal use. I never share these files with anyone.
8. Family Histories – Many family histories written in the 1800s and early 1900s are now out of copyright, can be found on the Internet Archive, FamilySearch, etc. and can be downloaded and saved.
9. Newly Published Genealogy-Related Books – Many newly published books are available as a download so I have a few of these.
10. Miscellaneous Topics – booklets on local history, Loyalist resources, library finding aids, using the Draper Collection, etc.

If you don’t have a digital genealogy library, you are missing out on an opportunity to grow a LARGE collection of materials that can be invaluable to your research, particularly if you have an extended focus on one family or one location. Best of all, most of your library items can be accessed for free and take no physical space on your book shelves.

Today, I’ll share some quick tips for locating and/or purchasing hard-to-find genealogy books that you’d either like to read or actually add a hard copy to your home reference library.

Where can that elusive book be found?

Absolutely, my first online stop is the FamilySearch catalog, hoping that there might be a digital version available of the book.

My second stop would be Internet Archive, hoping for the same result, but I have no success.

Next, I would stop and pause before continuing my search. The publication date of the book might be the issue, as it might still be under copyright restrictions.

My third website visit would be WorldCat. Now, to choose an example that will illustrate the rest of these tips, let’s say I would love to read and/or even own a copy of Passamaquoddy – Genealogies of West Isle Families, by Martha Ford Barto and published in New Brunswick, Canada in 1975. My mother’s family has lots of early Passamaquoddy area ancestors.

WorldCat has this entry:

Notice that I will be able to view all formats and editions, but the left arrow indicates that the book is available as an eBook, too.

Choosing the eBook icon opens a list of libraries who have a copy of the book and a list of the distances from me (in Tucson) to each of the libraries.

Using this option didn’t readily allow me to find the eBook. I had more success choosing the link on the right to View All Formats and Editions:

Choosing the eBook version prompted me to use a free access button to the Mesa, Arizona Family History Center.

Where Can I Buy a Copy of the Elusive Book?

Purchasing a hard-to-find book might be difficult for two reasons. First, rare books might be somewhat expensive. Second, there may not be copies floating around to be bought. However, there are several websites to check:

• Amazon – I don’t usually have much success here and didn’t find Barto’s book
• Abe Books – I have had some success here, as they seem to carry more scholarly type books and this book is available for $135.00
• AddALL – Barto’s book is available for $135.00+
• BookFinder – The book is listed for $189.68+
• viaLibri – The book is listed for $135.00+

Thankfully, I own this book, having purchased it about 1980, when I first started my family history research. However, if I didn’t own it and really wanted to read it, I know there is one eBook option available and I know which libraries have a hard copy available.

I have also learned that, if I really wanted to own a copy of this book, I’d have to be prepared to pay $135.00 for it. Not cheap, by any means, but copies are available for sale, so purchasing is an (expensive) option.

If you are looking for a specific book, hoping to access it from home, locate a copy to read or buy the book, these links should help you determine how rare your book is and where, if anyplace, it is available to be bought.

Good luck with your searches!