Genealogical Periodicals: A Guide for Research

A revision, by Barbara B. Walsh, of a guide prepared in 1983 by Judith P. Reid
Research Guide No. 24

Although genealogical periodicals offer many sources of hidden information, they are often overlooked by genealogists in searching for family history. One reason for this is the time that may be required in searching through them for a particular name. Certainly, the task can be quite daunting if one scrutinizes the individual issues of each periodical.

Fortunately there are many indexes available which can reduce a genealogist's search time. Most periodicals have annual cumulative indexes that make it possible to review a year's listings at one time. But even more helpful are the indexes that bring together information from several periodicals and/or cumulate listings for several years. Some of them index information by subject, locality, and personal name in addition to family name. Because they are valuable tools for research, consulting periodicals and their indexes should be a part of every genealogist's search strategy. This guide identifies the major genealogical periodicals and indexes that are available in the Library of Congress Local History and Genealogy Reading Room (LH&G).