Laurel Library Says "Turn Cell Phones Off"

. . . or at least turn the ring tone off while you are in the genealogy department . . . and then go outside to answer it.

This is just common courtesy!

A Mississippi Case Study

In her article "After Disaster Strikes the Courthouse" in the July/August 2007 issue of Family Chronicle, Emily Croom, author of Unpuzzling Your Past, uses a case study identifying the maiden name of Matilda Shelby of Smith County, Mississippi. The case was complicated because Smith, Jones, Covington, and Jasper Counties all suffered record losses. If you don't subscribe, you should purchase a copy at a bookstore or read a library copy. It's an interesting case! By the way, if you don't have a good introductory book on genealogical research, pick up a copy of Croom's book as well. It's shorter than some books of similar nature and gives a good introduction to the types of records available for research. I often recommend it to persons who are just beginning their ancestral quest.