Do you have a State Library membership card? Would you like to find out more about the library and how to search the catalogue? Help us fine-tune our soon to be launched ‘Discover the Library’ session – email tours@slwa.wa.gov.au if you’d like to come along to the one and a half hour session and we’ll let you know when it is being held.
Get-It! (online interlibrary requesting) is another way to find and access books, DVDs and other resources from State Library stock and requests can be lodged online through the State Library’s website at Get-It! (www.slwa.wa.gov.au/find/loans_and_orders/getit)
The system used to provide the Get-It service was successfully upgraded. We apologise for any inconvenience caused will the service was unavailable earlier this week during the upgrade (Monday 12 to Thursday 16 October).
edited 16 October by Nick after upgrade successful
We will be offering two free family history talks at the State Library on Thursday 9 February as part of our Learning program.
Black and White and Read All Over looks at some of the wonderful digitised historic newspapers available through Trove and the Library’s e-resources. Many of these are also available for you to use from home as members of the State Library.
Fantastic Websites is exactly that – a look at some of our favourite family history websites from around the world. Many of them will be familiar to you but you may discover some gems!
For bookings please phone 9427 3111 and visit our Family History Learning page for further details of these and other courses.
Use Search and Rescue: the new touch screen, information kiosks, located near the library’s main doors. The kiosks are designed to help you find your way around the library when staff are busy at the Welcome Desk. We are interested in your feedback. Let us know what you think of them.
If you’re looking for useful and interesting family history websites, try our SLWA Family History Bookmarks page.
Simply click on any heading (or tag) to see which sites have been bookmarked for that topic. The larger the heading, the more websites are available. Tags range from geographic locations to topics such as convicts or world war.
Most of the sites are free so why not explore – who knows what you might find?
Findmypast Ireland
The great news for those with Irish ancestors is that we now have a new database at the State Library – Findmypast Ireland.
It includes indexes to wills, a large collection of directories, cemetery transcriptions, land records and much more. Used together with the Irish Newspaper Archives, family historians now have access to more online resources for Ireland than ever before. Please note that the database can only be used within the State Library building. To access, simply type Findmypast into our online catalogue or click on the logo above.
Happy hunting!
One of the exciting new developments at the State Library of Western Australia is increased access to digital information.
As of today, registered SLWA patrons will be able to connect to a selection of e-resources from anywhere with internet access. This will allow you to be more flexible and access the information you want from the comfort of your own home. So there will be no need to get out of your trackies and slippers when you want that last piece of information for your assignment or presentation.
Electronic access is available for members of the State Library; if you are not already a member you can become one online. You will also need to provide proof of a W.A residential address to the Library. The barcode on your mylibrary card along with your name becomes your key to a whole new way of obtaining information.
Getting to the resources is easy; either enter through the electronic resources page or just go through the website just as you would in the Library and get reading.
New Zealand Electoral Rolls
The New Zealand records do not yet have a separate country location under the Search tab. To view the records available, select all databases from the home page and type new zealand under keyword.
Ancestry library edition is available within the State Library building and in many local public libraries.
If you’re visiting the State Library why not take the opportunity to view these new electronic resources! All are available from the library catalogue terminals and from our public pcs (bookings required for public pcs). Click on the links for more information about each resource:
Remember you can only access these when using computers in the State Library building. Enjoy!
Dead Reckoning is your handbook to family history research in Western Australia. It does not matter if you are a novice family historian just starting out tracing your family tree or a experience genealogy researcher looking for whatever happen to the elusive great uncle. There is helpful hints and links for all.
Dead Reckoning: how to find your way through the Genealogical Jungle of Western Australia (compiled by Steve Howell) was first published in 1997. It was an update of the 1983 Library Board of Western Australia publication: Tracing your ancestors: a guide to genealogical sources in the J.S. Battye Library of West Australian History.
Since 1997 there has been explosion of interest in genealogy and biographical research. In addition to the many significant internet resources that have been developed. The Battye Library and the State Records Office have received a large amount of new material. It would be extremely difficult to keep a print publication on these resources relevant and up to date. Following a grant from the Sholl Bequest (administered by the Friends of Battye Library Inc.), it was decided to revise and publish the book online, so it can be regularly updated as appropriate resources and material are found.
The online version of Dead Reckoning is divided into various sections. The first section covers how to begin, legal deposit, copyright, publishing and has a list of books of value to the starting genealogist. It is followed by a history of the Battye Library and then sources held by the Battye Library which have information on people. Books are grouped under subject headings; serials and ephemera listed by individual work or series; private archives are grouped under subject headings; and for newspapers, oral history, maps, photographs, and film, video and DVDs, general information on what can be found in each has been noted.
So if need a place to start tracing your family history or you are still looking for information on what happen to great uncle Harry when he moved to …, the Dead Reckoning is the place to start.
