Lots has changed in the years the Berryville Library has been in our current building. We expect lots will change in the years the library will be housed in the new building we are hoping to break ground on soon. That’s why we think it is so important as we move towards this bigger, better future to remember our roots. To that end, we have created the Berryville Library Legacy Project, which lets donors highlight a piece of local history of their choice by selecting photographs to be displayed on the end of a shelving unit at the new library. We also remain committed to helping create a sense of place through our collection, so we are going to highlight our Arkansas section this year. Each month, we’ll look at some of the different books and resources in that collection that feature unique parts of the history and culture of Berryville, Carroll County, the Ozarks, and Arkansas. There’s lots to explore about this place we call home! For October, in honor of Family History Month, we’re looking at genealogy.
As an avid genealogist, one of my favorite parts of our Arkansas section is all of the great genealogy resources we have on hand. We have so many that I’m actually going to cover them over the course of both October and November!
For this month, we’ll be focusing on more general genealogy resources.
For instance, if you’re interested but unsure where to start, try Genealogy for Beginners. Author Katherine Pennavaria is a Kentucky professor and librarian who walks readers through the ins and outs of genealogy in an accessible, conversational manner.
Regardless of your experience level with genealogical research, if you’re daunted by how to organize all the information you find, check out genealogist and librarian Drew Smith’s Organize Your Genealogy.
If the DNA testing side of genealogy is what you are most curious about, we also have on hand Blaine T. Bettinger’s The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy. This books covers everything from which testing service will best answer your specific genealogical research questions to what to do with the results once you get them.
If you’re more interested in preserving immediate family stories than finding distant ancestors, we also have Hazel Thornton’s What’s a Photo Without the Story and Donald Davis’s Telling your Arkansas Stories.
Next month, we’ll look more at the local records and history books we have on hand, which are indispensable for research on Carroll County ancestors.
Are you a frequenter of our Arkansas section? Did you even know we had an Arkansas section? What’s your favorite genealogy resource? Tell us in the comments! As always, please follow this link to our online library catalog for more information on any of our items or to place them on hold.
Berryville Book Buzz 