African American Periodicals

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United States

African American Genealogy

Periodicals

African American Periodicals

Most family organizations, historical societies, and genealogical societies publish magazines and newsletters. These often include:

• Family genealogies and pedigrees.
• Transcripts of local courthouse records, church records, family Bibles, and cemetery records.

• Helpful articles on research methodology.
• Information about local records, archives, and services.
• Book advertisements and book reviews.
• Research advertisements.
• Queries or requests for information about specific ancestors, which can help you contact other interested researchers.

List of Journals

• Journal of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. African American Historical and Genealogical Society (Washington,D.C.) FS Catalog book 973 D25j At various libraries (WorldCat)

• Index to The Journal of Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Quarterly Issues of 1980-1990. by Barbara D. Walker. FS Catalog book 973 D25j index At various libraries (WorldCat)

• Flower of the Forest: Black Genealogical Journal. By Agnes Kane Callum. FS Library Book 975.2 F25c At various libraries (WorldCat)

Online Periodicals

African American Periodicals, 1825-1995.Columbia University Libraries.

Genealogical Magazines of General Interest

Some general periodicals assist by providing basic how-to instruction, many advertisements, book notices, and queries. These seldom include record transcripts or compiled genealogies. Two major examples are:

• The Genealogical Helper. 1947-. Published by Everton Publishers, P. O. Box 368, Logan, UT 84321. Telephone: 801-752-6022. Fax: 801-752-0425. FS Catalog book 929.05 G286.
• Heritage Quest: The International Genealogy Forum. 1985-. American Genealogical Lending Library, P. O. Box 329, Bountiful, UT 84011-0329. Telephone: 801-565-8046. Fax: 801-359-9355. FS Catalog book 973 D25hq.

Genealogical Journals

These periodicals usually provide more in-depth instruction, book reviews, record transcripts, and compiled genealogies. These are often published quarterly by genealogical societies and may focus on a region, state, county, or time period. Some major examples are:

• National Genealogical Society Quarterly. 1912-. [Published by the National Genealogical Society, 4527 17th Street North, Arlington, VA 22207. Telephone: 703-525-0050.] (FS Library book 973 B2ng; vols. 1-43 for 1912-55 are on films 001283-89.)
• New England Historical and Genealogical Register. 1847-. [Published by the New England Historic and Genealogical Society, 101 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116. Telephone: 617-536-5740. Fax: 617-536-7307.] (FS Library book 974 B2ne; compact disc 33 part 1-9.)
• The American Genealogist. 1922-. [Published by Donald Lines Jacobus, P. O. Box 398, Demorest, GA 30535-0398.] (FS Library book 973 D25aga.
• Genealogical Journal. 1972-. [Published by the Utah Genealogical Association, P. O. Box 1144, Salt Lake City, UT 84110. Telephone: 888-463-6832.] (FS Library book 973 D25gj).
• Genealogical Computing. 1981-. [Published by Ancestry, P. O. Box 476, Salt Lake City, UT 84110. Telephone: 801-531-1790. Fax: 801-375-2228.] (FS Library book 929.10285 G286.)

In addition, excellent state and regional publications are described in "periodicals" articles for each state. Search the wiki for [state] and the word "periodicals."

Indexes

Most magazines have annual or cumulative indexes. Three major composite indexes to most periodicals are:

• Periodical Source Index (PERSI). Ft. Wayne, Indiana: Allen County Public Library Foundation, 1987-. (FS Library book 973 D25per; 40 fiche 6016863 (1847-1985); 15 fiche 6016864 (1986-1990).) Partially indexes over 5,000 English-language and French-Canadian family history periodicals. The microfiche indexes are cumulative; book indexes since 1986 are year-by-year.
  

• PERSI online at Allen County Public Library. For further details see the PERiodical Source Index Resource Guide (34119).

Obtaining Periodicals

Copies of periodicals are available from the local societies that publish them. Major archives with genealogical collections will have copies of many periodicals, particularly those representing the area they serve. For example, the Allen County Public Library will send researchers copies of articles indexed in the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) for a small fee.

A compact disc version that includes all PERSI volumes published through 1996 is: PERSI Periodical Source Index. Orem, Utah: Ancestry, Incorporated, and Allen County Public Library Foundation, 1997. (FamilySearch Library compact disc 1313 number 61.)

The FamilySearch Library subscribes to numerous periodicals. These are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog in several ways. If you know the title of a periodical, use the Author/Title Search. To find periodicals in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog, use the following approaches:

UNITED STATES - GENEALOGY - PERIODICALS

UNITED STATES - HISTORY - PERIODICALS

UNITED STATES - PERIODICALS

UNITED STATES - SOCIETIES - PERIODICALS

[STATE] - (same topics as above)

[STATE], [COUNTY] - (same topics as above)

You can find further information by searching the Wiki for a state and the word "periodicals."