When I began my research, I used to think that the Family History Library had everything. Although it is the finest library in the world in which to research, I’m glad I learned about the availability of records that they don’t have.
We recently were searching for Lewis KING, born about 1807 in Baden, Germany. His first child was born abt 1836 in Erie County, New York, and he moved to Iowa in 1856.
We exhausted all the "normal" and easy-to-locate sources for Erie County for the time period, so we turned to the state census records. The Family History Library Catalog’s earliest state census record for New York was 1855. We located Lewis KING’s family in the census which revealed information about when the family first came to Erie County.
Does the Family History Library have it all?
If we relied solely on the holdings of the Family History Library we never would have broke through our brick wall. The answer to our problem came through the suggestions in Legacy’s Research Guidance.
Because we were trying to find evidence of Lewis KING’s birth, we clicked on the "Goal: Birth" tab. Instantly, Legacy provided 74 suggested sources – all of which may contain information about his birth. One of the records Legacy suggested was the 1845 New York State Census. These records were absent from the collections of the Family History Library. Not only did Legacy suggest this source, but it explained what information might be contained in the source, and where the source is located – at the New York State Library. Click on the image below to view this suggestion in Legacy.
Had we relied on the Family History Library’s Catalog, we may not have learned about the availability of the 1845 state census, and the brick wall would remain.
Is Legacy’s Research Guidance just for beginners?
Ask any professional researcher – they’ll probably tell you that it is difficult to always remember all of the available sources. While Legacy’s Research Guidance is perfect for the beginning genealogist, even professionals benefit from the checklist-style approach.
How to begin using Research Guidance
Once you’ve opened Legacy Family Tree, locate the individual for whom you want suggestions. Then click on the Research Guidance tab in the upper right. Finally, click on the Start Now button and Legacy will guide you through your research.
Research Guidance is available in the Deluxe Edition of Legacy. Learn more about the Deluxe Edition features, or click here to purchase.
Re Asia-Pacific needs – I agree. I’m with Ancestry, I would be very keen to see Legacy do something locally. I think there’s a very big market for them to tap into.