From article by Damon Veach

Don’t overlook the State Library when
looking for research sites
 

By DAMON VEACH
Special to The Advocate
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Published: Dec 9, 2007

In previous columns, I have given advice on where to go to research genealogical records here in Baton Rouge. One of the best which  hasn’t been covered yet is the Louisiana Section of the State Library of Louisiana, located at 701 N. 4th St. The only complaints  I’ve ever heard about this research facility is the fact that it is open only from from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, exclusive of state holidays, and it isn’t available on weekends when a lot of people do their research.

If you can work around this, you have a great place to work with lots of important materials on file that will assist you in finding
answers to missing family links.

The Louisiana Section is the library’s center for all things about Louisiana. It houses a comprehensive collection of books about
Louisiana and about Louisiana authors as well as Louisiana periodicals, major Louisiana newspapers on microfilm and telephone books and city directories from across the state.

It is also a complete historical depository for Louisiana state documents. Highlights of the Louisiana Section are Louisiana genealogy  materials, historical maps and photographs, newspaper clipping files and general-interest Louisiana legal materials.

Some film will circulate, and some will not. Besides accessing their databases on computer, if you can go there to research in person, you will find an excellent staff willing to help in any way they can. The only thing that they don’t do is personal research for people. That is just too time-consuming, and they have other duties required by the state.

They also have microfilmed records from several parish courthouses. These were done by the Mormons back in the 1970s and copies were  given to the State Library.


One out-of-the-ordinary source that’s not really genealogical but historical is the archaeological reports that the State Department of  Archaeology gives them. They don’t have all of them, but they do have quite a few.

The Louisiana Collection is located on the fifth floor of the library. Although the emphasis is on print format, microform and electronic materials are included. Most of the material in the Louisiana collection is listed in the library’s online catalog. Louisiana-related audiovisual materials are housed in the State Library’s audiovisual collection.

Special materials in the collection include: Acts of the Louisiana Legislature, 1810 to current; current and historical city directories and telephone books for Louisiana cities and towns; current and historical Louisiana maps; current and historical Louisiana state government publications; documents relating to the Historic American Building Survey in Louisiana; documents relating to the Louisiana  Historic Standing Structures Survey; documents relating to the Louisiana Works Progress Administration; Louisiana-related federal  government documents; Louisiana-related popular and specialized magazines, including all that are indexed in Bayou State Periodical  Index; newspapers from major Louisiana cities in print, on microfilm, and in electronic format; U.S. Census, ship passenger lists, military service and parish records on microfilm; and vertical files of newspaper articles and ephemeral materials.

Some specialized items may be of interest to researchers too. These include dissertations dealing with Louisiana history, culture or biography, and genealogy materials related to Louisiana and the southeastern United States, including journals published by state genealogical and historical societies. It is my understanding that two copies of the books reviewed in this column format are acquired  for the collection.

The Louisiana Gumbo Project will be of interest to researchers, writers, and genealogists. These can be found by going to
http://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/

Another interesting site deals with the Louisiana Works Progress Administration Collection. It features predominantly black and white photographs from the 1930s to the 1970s. There is a strong emphasis on photographs of notable Louisiana personalities including governors, artists, authors, and musicians. Historic plantations and churches, are included.

The WPA collection covers the state and includes traditional songs, beliefs, customs, sayings, stories, recipes, legends, jokes, and  accounts of local history. Sometimes important genealogical pointers can be gleaned by checking out collections like this.

Many readers have requested this information from me, so you can see what has been done thus far. This amounts to perhaps half of  the extensive collection that I have accumulated over the years.

As I stated above, the staff at the State Library of Louisiana is exceptional in the way they are willing to help visitors and
researchers.

They go out of their way to assist and to share their knowledge of the materials and are willing to make suggestions that will further  help to make your research experience useful and rewarding. Judith D. Smith is Section Head of the Louisiana Collection.