Beyond registries and lists: Published Sources
- Biographical Sources
- Newspapers (Obituaries)
- City Directories
- Family Histories and Genealogies
- Local History
People who were prominent in some way or belonged to certain professions (medicine, science, law, etc.) may be included in biographical dictionaries or professional directories. More on Finding Biographical Sources
Where no biographical material for a person has been published, vital statistics and other sources can be used to provide basic data, especially date of death, which can then be used to find newspaper obituaries.
Guides to newspaper research are available in Guide to Newspapers and Newspaper Indexes.
Obituaries: a guide to sources / Betty M. Jarboe. 2nd ed.
Online access available via Internet Archive
--Largely a bibliography of compilations of local death records and of obituaries, including obituary indexes of periodicals and newspapers. Includes an international chapter and chapters for other countries. Index includes professions, local place names, and names of publications.
Resources for City Directories
Effective Use of City Directories
Family Histories and Genealogies
A vast number of published (online or in paper) family histories and genealogies is available.
In HOLLIS and WorldCat search for Subject terms of the form: Tufts family.
Numerous online genealogies are available via the FamilySearch site.
Family History Archive contains digitized family histories
Bear in mind that many family histories and genealogies are of poor quality, and all need to be checked with independent information.
Most American towns, cities, and counties are the subject of published local histories. Many of these, especially those from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, include biographies of Local Worthies and can be valuable sources for people of local reputation. Some of these histories are scholarly productions, but many were financed by the persons whose biographies are included and must be used with caution.
Widener has a fine collection of U.S. local histories starting at US10800. You can find them in the HOLLIS Catalog or browse. The section for each state begins with publications of state-wide interest, then county histories, then publications on towns and cities arranged alphabetically by city or town.