Genealogy Subject Guide
| Handbooks-General | Local Newspapers |
| Handbooks-Louisiana | Indexes & Databases-Sims |
| Dictionaries | Indexes & Databases-elsewhere |
| Style Manuals | Internet Sites |
Handbooks--General
Ancestry's Red Book: American State County & Town Sources
--Reference Tables-- CS 49 .A55
Producing Quality Family History
--Reference Tables-- CS 16 .H36
The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual
--Reference Tables-- CS 8.5 .B38
The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy
--Reference Tables-- CS 47 .G73
The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy
--Reference Tables-- CS 49 .S65
Handbooks--Louisiana
Genealogical Materials in the New Orleans Public Library's Louisiana Division and City Archives
--Reference Tables-- F 368 .H36; also available online
Searching for your Louisiana Ancestors-- And All That Jazz!
--Reference Tables-- F 368 .S43; also available online
Dictionaries
Abbreviations & Acronyms: A Guide for Family Historians
--Reference Tables-- CS 6 .S64
What Did They Mean By That?: A Dictionary of Historical & Genealogical Terms Old & New
--Reference Tables-- PE 1667 .D73
Style Manuals
Evidence!: Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian
--Reference Tables-- CS 16 .M63
Local Newspapers
Sims Library has microfilm copies of the following Louisiana newspapers. Many of the titles had short runs and name changes. Please check the Library Catalog for exact name changes and dates of issues held by Sims Library:
| New Orleans: | Item, States-Item, Daily States, Times Picayune, States Item Daily, Daily Picayune, New Orleans Times Picayune | |
| ~1837-present |
microfilms 2 and 1187 |
|
| Baton Rouge: | Advocate, Sunday Advocate, Morning Advocate, Baton Rouge Advocate, Times, Daily Advocate, Daily Louisiana Capitolian, New Advocate, Tri Weekly Advocate, State Times Advocate, Daily State, Daily State Times | |
| ~1854-present |
microfilm 371 |
|
| Hammond: | Star, Daily Star, Hammond Daily Courier, Tangipahoa Parish Daily Courier, Daily Progress, Hammond Daily Herald, Hammond Herald, American Progress, Progress, Daily Progress, Louisiana Progress | |
| ~1906-present |
microfilms 3, 153, 170 and 358 |
|
| Covington: | St. Tammany Farmer | |
| 1878-present |
microfilm 548 |
|
| Ponchatoula: | Enterprise | |
| 1921-present |
microfilm 558 |
|
| Amite: | Tangipahoa Parish News, Amite-Tangi Digest, News Digest, Tangi Talk, Amite City Advocate, Amite City Gazette, Amite City Independent, Amite City Democrat, Independent, Tangipahoa Democrat, Tangipahoa Advocate, Amite City Times, The True Democrat, The Amite Times, Weekly Star and Journal, Amite City Sun | |
| 1867-present |
microfilm 262 |
|
| Kentwood: | Kentwood Commercial | |
| 1895-1970 |
microfilm 1035 |
|
| SLU: | Lion's Roar | |
| 1950-present |
microfilm 797 |
|
Indexes & Databases provided by Sims Library
American Slavery-- Provides the full-text life histories of former slaves; based on interviews conducted by the WPA Field Writers' Project workers in 1936-38.
The following databases provide background historical information. These are not genealogical databases.
America:History and Life-- Indexes and abstracts articles from scholarly journals, book reviews and dissertations covering the history of the United States and Canada. Includes links to full-text articles in JSTOR, Project Muse and the History Cooperative.
Historical Abstracts-- Indexes and abstracts scholarly journals, book reviews and dissertations covering modern world history from 1450 to the present. Includes links to full-text articles in JSTOR, Project Muse and the History Cooperative.
Sanborn Maps-Louisiana-- Provides maps of 159 Louisiana cities for the time period 1885-1951, demonstrating development of cities and neighborhoods and including pipelines and railroads, street names, house and block numbers, property boundaries and outline, size, construction materials and use of each building.
Indexes & Databases available elsewhere
The following genealogy databases are not available through a Sims Library subscription or license, but are available as indicated.
AncestryPlus -- Available through a State Library of Louisiana license. Patrons need to visit their local Louisiana Parish library to use the AncestryPlus. Additionally, personal subscriptions allowing remote access to Ancestry databases are available for many collections: U.S. Records Collection, U.S. Census Images & Indexes, U.S. Immigration Records, U.K. & Ireland Records, Historical Newspapers, and OneWorldTree. Free searches and access to some materials are available at the website Ancestry.com.
Genealogy.com -- Personal subscriptions allow remote access to many collections: U. S. Census, Family & Local Histories, International & Passenger Records, Genealogy Library and World Family Tree. Some free searches are available from this website as well.
HeritageQuest Online -- A library subscription database. U. S. Federal Census, Genealogy & Local History Books and PERSI (Periodical Source Index). Members and scholars of research libraries have remote access to these databases.
Ellis Island Searchable Database -- Website provided by JewishGen, Inc. with assistance from Dr. Stephen Morse; searches the Ellis Island Passenger Record Archive (www.ellisisland.org), providing information on passengers and immigrants who entered the Port of New York from 1892 to 1924. The search and retrieval is free; a fee is charged by The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. or photocopies of the manifests.
Internet Sites
Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet -- A directory of websites for genealogical research.
Family History Library Catalog -- The online catalog of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Includes microfilmed and microfiched records, books, serials, and maps from United States, Canada, the British Isles, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Many microforms may be ordered and viewed at a Family History Center (branch library) and at some local public libraries (including the Covington branch of the St. Tammany Parish Library).
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Genealogy website -- Website of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), providing guides, resources, and records from the federal agency that preserves U.S. history and manages all federal records.
National Genealogical Society -- Website of the National Genealogical Society (NGS), a non-profit organization that provides educational opportunities and information on genealogical standards, and publishes a newsletter and quarterly journal.
USGenWeb Project -- Website of the all-volunteer USGenWeb Project, providing access to free websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. State and county pages provide online resources, links to research repositories, genealogical and historical societies, maps, mailing lists and special projects for that geographical area.
Afro-Louisiana History and Genealogy 1719-1820 -- Searchable database of slaves found in documents in Louisiana between 1718 and 1821 from Dr. Gwendolyn Midlo Hall.
Louisiana State Archives -- Website of the Louisiana State Archives, official repository for Louisiana's historical records, including a manuscript collection and research library.
Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society -- A non-profit organization that provides educational opportunities and links to Louisiana genealogy and publishes a The Register, quarterly journal focusing on Louisiana genealogy.
Louisiana Newspaper Project -- Catalog of extant Louisiana newspapers.
Louisiana Archivists and Manuscripts Association -- Website of the Louisiana Archivists and Manuscripts Association with links to Louisiana archives and special collections and a guide to institutions in Louisiana holding genealogical and historical record collections.
New Orleans Public Library Louisiana Division City Archives and Special Collections -- Website of the New Orleans Public Library Special Collections with finding aids, tips and searchable database index of early New Orleans obituaries and marriages.
