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!