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Writer's pictureLauren Higgs

Card Catalogs Are Cool.

This is part 2 of a 5-part series on improving your search skills.



Card Catalogs still exist!! Did you know? If you’re of a certain age, you may remember pulling long narrow drawers filled with hundreds of index cards out of a filing cabinet that looked a bit like a shabby apothecary table. Though we no longer have the distinct pleasure of searching through card catalogs at the library, they do still exist in a digital format.


If you find yourself repeatedly using the global search at places like Ancestry and FamilySearch, and not getting the results you hoped for, it might be time to consider the Card Catalog. Both sites have a Catalog/Card Catalog option listed underneath their main “Search” menu tab.


What’s in that thing anyhow?


Card Catalogs hold many records that perhaps haven’t yet or cannot be indexed by individual names. These records may be on microfilm or may be scanned images from books or paper files or periodicals. They come from census records, books, family histories, court sessions, and many more.


Using a card catalog can remind of you of a few things:

  1. You don’t know what you don’t know.

  2. Many, many, many records have not yet been digitized and/or indexed.

  3. There is more to genealogical research than vitals, probate, and censuses.

Here’s an example from my current research to show you how a card catalog can benefit your research. I’m looking for Stonestreets in Charles County, Maryland in the late 1700s to early 1800s. I go to the Catalog in FamilySearch and type "Charles" in the “Place” field.


Don’t add the word “county.” FamilySearch will suggest a standardized place name which you should use, and none of them contain the word “county.”


When I check out my results, I find something interesting:


There was a 1778 census in Maryland! I had no idea this record existed, and now I can look for my Stonestreet brothers there. When I click the link, I see this:




This “census record” is a book that Bettie Stirling Carothers created by transcribing paper records. (Thank you, Bettie.) As this book is only 59 pages long, it should be easy enough for me to browse. I click on “View Inside” and search.



There, on page 16, are my Stonestreet brothers at the bottom right of the third column. I now have a location for them in 1788.


Some of FamilySearch’s catalog results may only be accessible from FamilySearch Family History Center or an affiliate library (there may be one near you), and some may not yet be digitized. You can search for these titles using WorldCat to find other locations if your title isn’t available via FamilySearch.


What if there are only hard copies of the book in question? Well… you may have to leave your house.


Tune in next time for part 3: "Leave Your House."


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