Are you familiar with Yelp?
Yelp is a free local search program that helps the user find eateries, entertainment and home services in a specific area. When traveling or just looking for a new place to eat with my family, Yelp is the go-to app on my phone.
But, can Yelp be used for genealogy research purposes? Absolutely!
Why You Want To Use Yelp for Genealogy Purposes
- If you are planning a genealogy research trip, use Yelp to find unique repositories in your specified area.
- If you find yourself unexpectedly in an area, use Yelp to see what genealogy repositories or research sites are close by and open.
- Use Yelp to find libraries, cemeteries, local museums, local archives and even genealogical societies.
- Use Yelp to find local restaurants or coffee shops. After all, a researcher has to eat and researchers do not like to wander too far from a repository!
Yelp can be accessed either from your laptop or from the free app available for your smartphone. Tip: Install the Yelp app on your phone for on-the-go research.
Let's Take A Closer Look At Yelp
1.Navigate to Yelp.com or open the Yelp app on your phone. (Find directions to download the free app here.)
2.Type in your search terms.
For our example, we will be searching Portland, OR for genealogy resources.
Tip: Try searching "genealogy" and "family history". The search term "genealogy" seems to consistently yield more results than "family history" for U.S based searches. In United Kingdom searches, "family history" yielded more results.
Our search results yielded 4 potential genealogy research repositories to explore. Notice results include libraries, cultural or community centers AND a genealogy society(!).
3.To learn more about a repository or library, simply click the entry. Clicking the first result for The Genealogical Forum of Oregon brings the user to the Yelp entry for the group.
On the left side is the basic information of address, phone number, link for directions and the website for The Genealogical Forum of Oregon. Click the website link to learn even more about this entry.
Ready to make a visit? Back on the Yelp results page, click "Get Directions" and you are ready to be off.
4. Find insider tips about a repository and genealogy research by finding User Reviews found underneath a repository's entry. Be sure and leave your own review, too!
Now it's your turn. Explore Yelp with your own examples.
Search for local "museums" or "historical sites" in your area of interest to learn more about the social context of the time and place your ancestor lived.
(And when you get hungry….fine local eateries in the area.)
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Lisa Lisson is the writer, educator and genealogy researcher behind Are You My Cousin? and believes researching your genealogy does not have to be overwhelming. All you need is a solid plan, a genealogy toolbox and the knowledge to use those tools. Lisa can be found online at LisaLisson.com , Facebook and Pinterest.
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