__http://beta.worldcat.org/archivegrid/ Archivegrid is a new companion service to World Cat and is supported by OCLC Research databases and descriptions—including MARC and EAD documents. MARC originally listed archival holdings for the Holland Land Company records for Western New York. Armed with these MARC descriptions, I visited the archives and tracked the ancestors for 7 clients at one time. What a boon those descriptions were.
You can select your state or country of interest from the menu and GoogleMaps will map the locations of archives and libraries in that general area. Finding aids and more than 3 million descriptions are now available. Take this genealogy-adventure plunge and determine what archive collections could help you extend your hard-to-find New York pedigree and prove each generation.
Archivegrid is an effective, although an advanced research tool. You have to know some key things about your ancestors whether they come from New York or not. Facts like:
- Time period they can be found in New York.
- Local area where they resided and if they moved around within New York.
- Other surnames associated with your ancestors.
- Spelling variants of surnames.
- Previous names,especially those names no longer used for that place of residence.
This is one of those searches that works better the more you know. Your favorite New York genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS Even if you classify yourself as a beginner, take this genealogy-adventure plunge. You might find a documented, unpublished family history that other researchers also stumped on your family lines have never consulted. You can know the answers before anyone else!