Help

There is a HELP DESK located in the Information Commons (2nd floor of MacKimmie
Library Block). Staff there can help you:

• Determine where to start your search

• Search the library catalogue

• Locate materials in the library

• Search article indexes / periodical databases

• Search the internet

• Deal with basic software and program queries

Books
To find books search the online catalogue using the search grid for author, keyword or specific
subject. Examples include:

• Germans Russia

• Canada genealogy

• Irish Immigration

• Essex history

You can also search by an ancestors name in the full text of digital primary resource and
newspaper collections, you never know when someone might be mentioned .

Primary Sources: http://library.ucalgary.ca/rdd?s=95

Newspapers: http://library.ucalgary.ca/resources/news (check date coverage in descriptions)

Maps and Atlases
The MADGIC Collection is located on the 2nd floor of the Library Tower. This area includes sheet
maps and atlases from all different time periods, including the 18th and 19th century. Many of the
atlases trace the movement of ethnic populations. Among the most useful sets of maps in this
collection are those of the British Ordnance Survey county maps; the homestead and county land
maps for the Canadian Prairies, especially Alberta; and historical maps and atlases showing
boundary changes, migration patterns, original churches or post offices, etc.

Periodical Literature
Many articles on genealogy and local or family history have been published in periodicals such as
Alberta History or Heritage Review. These articles can be located through the use of indexes, the
most useful being America: History & Life and, specifically for Canadian research, Canadian
Periodical Index. Paper copies of these are located in the Reference Collection on the 2nd floor of
the Library Block and online versions can be searched from a University of Calgary Library
computer. This search will produce articles such as:

• Dewald, Heinrich. HISTORY OF THE HEILBRONN SETTLEMENT, DAKOTA TERRITORY. Heritage Review 1996 26(4): 27-30.

These indexes will also cite book reviews and theses such as:

• Loewen, Royden. Family, Church and Market: A History of a Mennonite Community Transplanted from Russia to Canada and the United States, 1850-1930. University of Manitoba thesis. 1990.552 pp.

Periodicals or magazines have been published on a regular basis since the late 1700’s and many of these
carried useful information on family and local history as well as biographical articles, birth, death and
marriage notices and other information of use and interest to the family historian. Many of these have never
been indexed but it is always a good idea to check to see if the geographical area in which you are
searching had a newspaper or periodical published during the 18th, 19th or early 20th century. These can be
searched in the online catalogue under the subject, for example:

• Haldimand County Newspapers

Articles in periodicals (or theses) not held at the University of Calgary Library or in other local libraries can
be ordered on Interlibrary Loan through your local library.

Microforms
The MacKimmie Library holds thousands of titles in microfilm or microfiche (all on 3LT), many of which are
of interest to the family historian. For instance, The Canadian Institute of Historical Microreproduction is a
collection of microfiche reproducing books and serials published in or about Canada prior to
1920. It includes local and privately published histories, directories, biographies and even items
such as militia orders, nominal rolls and various forms of printed memorials, annual reports of
government agencies, special items celebrating local events, etc. The general call number is FC
51 C3496 No.—.

The Peel Bibliography on Microfiche is another fiche collection of books and
pamphlets published within or about the three prairie provinces from earliest times to 1950. Many
small local histories of towns, schools and churches are in this collection (FC 3237 P42 No.—).

The Library also holds a number of local Canadian newspapers, some dating back to the 18th
century, which have been microfilmed. These are largely from the Maritime Provinces, Ontario
and Quebec, with some more recent ones from Alberta.

Electronic Resources

• Journal Article indexes will help you find and search periodical articles in databases

• Campus Databases, such as the Alberta Heritage Digitization Project, allow you to access actual books and newspapers http://library.ucalgary.ca/rdd?s=95

• Search the Internet tells you how to construct a search and links you to many different search engines

Other Research Tips
If the ancestor whom you are researching had a profession, it is useful to check for information on
that specific topic. For instance, there are numerous histories, directories and biographical
dictionaries held in the University of Calgary Library on every kind of trade and skill from
silversmiths in New England to merchant navy sailors in Great Britain.
As well, it is often a good idea to check to see if there was any requirement for military service in
the area, especially militia units. Many histories and nominal rolls of such units are available and
can be found under the name of the unit.

Other Notes
The resources of the University of Calgary Library are open to the public during regular hours;
however, you cannot borrow without a valid card from either the University of Calgary Library or
TAL (The Alberta Library). Photocopiers are located on each floor and copies are $0.15 per
page, as are the microfilm/fiche printers. Copy cards can be purchased at the Circulation Desk
on the ground floor of the Tower.

If you have difficulties please check with the HELP DESK, check out the website at:
http://webapps2.ucalgary.ca/~lcrweb/kb-subjects/?CategoryID=137

2003.09.22

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Note – A special thank you to Jerremie Clyde, the history librarian at the University of Calgary who kindly provided the above information for a genealogy 101 type presentation I recently gave at the Faculty Women’s Club at the U of Calgary. He gave permission to share this information.

Related posts:

Doing Genealogy at the Calgary Public Library

• Dick Eastman – The Organized Genealogist & Conservation: Keeping UP with Technology
  
• Lyn Meehan - Records Interrogation 101 – Squeezing Records Until They Talk
• Thomas MacEntree - Social Networking for Genealogists & Become a Genealogy Blogger

Saturday, October 16, 2010
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
(Doors open @ 8:00 AM)
Deerfoot Inn Hotel
11500 – 35 St. SE, Calgary, AB, Canada
Dinner (Optional)
Big Rock Grill
5555 – 76 Ave. SE, 6:00 PM
Speaker: Dick Eastman
Topic: “Putting the Genes in Genealogy“

For more information, logon to FamilyRoots
http://www.afhs.ab.ca/familyroots/

-

Calgary is only a one day drive away from Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Montana, Idaho and Washington.  Come join us for this event!

Dick Eastman, as many of you know has been blogging about genealogy and technology for decades. On January 15, 1996, Dick Eastman  launched Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter as an e-mail publication and announced it to 100 surprised friends and acquaintances.  The editor was Pam Cerutti.

The weekly newsletter has since grown into a daily publication, still available in e-mail but also now available on the World Wide Web. The present newsletter is read by more than 40,000 genealogists all over the world. Other guest authors occasionally publish articles in EOGN.com as well.

Thomas MacEntee  (second from the left) of Geneabloggers.com with several of the Bloggers of Honor at the Family History Expo in Mesa, Arizona January 22, 23. (that’s me on right).

Thomas MacEntee is a genealogist specializing in the use of technology and social media to improve genealogical research and as a means of interacting with others in the family history community.  Utilizing over 25 years of experience in the information technology field, Thomas writes and lectures on the many ways in which blogs, Facebook and Twitter can be leveraged to add new dimensions to the genealogy experience.  As the creator of GeneaBloggers.com he has organized and engaged a community of over 900 bloggers to document their own journeys in the search for ancestors.  Thomas was recently appointed to the board of the Illinois State Genealogical Society as Publicity Chair.

Family historian, genealogist and library professional Lyn Meehan has worked in public, academic, government and historical library environments. Her thirty years’ of research experience and charismatic presentation combine to help genealogists of any level effectively navigate Internet databases. Spiked with personal anecdotes, Lyn delivers insightful search strategies and an arsenal of tactics for sidestepping common mistakes. Lyn is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and a Reference Assistant for the Edmonton Public Library Information Services Division.

The event is Saturday, October 16, 2010 and will be held at The Deerfoot Inn & Casino.  There will be a dinner event at another location at which Dick Eastman will speak.  Details to follow.

“Perogies, bannock and ginger fried beef – almost any food in Alberta is part of our story”….according to David Finch, a Calgary Historian, writing recently in the Calgary Herald as he brought to our attention an upcoming conference.

From May 29 to 31, 2009 the Historical Society of Alberta and the Chinook Country Historical Society are hosting Alberta’s Cultural Communities: A Diverse History.

To find out more go to www.albertahistory.org or by calling 403-261-3662

Calgary Area Roots Resources

1) Alberta Family History Society – http://www.afhs.ab.ca/

• Members have access to the AFHS library and their online subscription to Ancestry.com
• Monthly meetings and special interest groups for members
• Support and encouragement from veteran genealogists and family historians

2) LDS Family History Centre -

• 2021-17th Avenue SW, Calgary, 403-571-3700.  Call for operating hours.

• for more information of the resources available check out my post Family History Portals

3) Calgary Public Library – http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/

• The Main Branch Downtown (616 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary) offers classes for the beginner genealogist and other resources.  Check the website for hours of operation.  Great section with family history and genealogy books

4) University of Calgary Library - http://library.ucalgary.ca/

• access to history books, old newspapers and airphotos
• biographies
• maps, atlases and gazetters
• Ask a librarian for guidance

Popular Websites available for free through local Family History Centers are:

Fold 3 (formerly Footnote) – a subscription based website featuring searchable, original documents.  Mostly US based but do have items of interest to the Quebec historian.

Godfrey Memorial Library - extensive collection of resources including newspapers, city and business directories, vital records, printed census records, state, county and local histories, as well as numerous family histories, family bible records, service and pension records.

Heritage Quest/ProQuest - includes a complete set of U.S. Federal Census Images from 1790 to 1930 including names and indexes for many.  Users will be albe to find people and places located in over 20,000 published family and local histories  and PERSI, an index of 1.9 million genealogy and local history articles.  Other online database include Revolutionary War Pension, Bounty-Land Warrant Application files and the Freedman Bank Records.

Kindred Konnections - has over 230 million pedigree linked names with submitter information.  There are additional databases of birth, marriage, death and census records that are automatically searched along with the pedigree linked data.

World Vital Records- provides access to research helps and a wide variety of international records, including more than 60 parish registers, Scottish death records, UK marriages and Irish prisoner records.  There are more than 300 newspapers with 100,000 pages added a month and over 500 online databses.  This source has the most specific sources to the Quebec researcher.

For Calgary area researchers visiting the main FHC*, go to the blue binders for the catologue of available resources:

These include bibliographies, cemetaries, 1825 census, church records, Loiselle films and card index (Quebec marriages), maps, atlas, etc.   Also is indexed according to Quebec/County/Township.

Carol also suggested looking in Vermont, Maine,  and other neighbouring state records because of geographic proximity to Quebec.  She said Google Images is a good source of old maps. (search term: “Quebec maps”).

Record Search Pilot Project

Also check out Familysearch.org’s Record Search Pilot project (go to www.familysearch.org , search records/Research search pilot in the drop down menu).   At present  this pilot project has Ontario Deaths and Quebec Catholic Parish Records.  Don’t dismss either locations even if at first glance your ancestors weren’t in Ontario or weren’t Catholic.  People may have moved to Ontario to be with their children and died there.  Sometimes the priest recorded Protestant births and other events in the parish records.

Books for Quebec Researchers

She also suggested we check out the book Je Me Souviens about American Canadian French and available the LDS FHC* library.  The FHC library along with Alberta Family History Society library ** have another good resource book called Finding Your Ancestors in English Quebec by Althea Douglas.  This is also available online  for purchase at www.genealogystore.com

*Calgary Family History Centre, 2021-17th Avenue SW, Calgary, 403-571-3700.  Call for operating hours.

**Alberta Family History Society Library, 712-16 Ave NW.  More info here