There is no better tip for all good genealogists to take to heart than to remember first and foremost to document each and every source whether it be written, spoken, e-mailed or heard. This is important not only for others with whom one might share information who may wish to corroborate their own findings. Source documentation is also important especially when old parroquial church books and other documents already in a state of detrioration continue to be assaulted by heat, book weevils and the humidity that is typical of the Caribbean.In my specific area of genealogy, as I am certain in others as well, one of the most neglected sources are historical or privately published books on the history, society and economic events of the geograpghical area in which we may be interested. Very often, privately published works and family genealogies are loaded with sources and excellent bibliographies. The author often has spent a lifetime documenting his/ her findings in areas where one's own ancestors may have been lived. Many antique or out of print books can be found at a slew of virtual on-line bookstores. Often they are much less expensive than one would expect. Amongst these, four sites that stand out which I have used for a considerable time and which have more books of interest to Spanish genealogists particularly in Spain, Cuba, Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico and Mexico are these virtual libraries:La TertuliaLibros Latinos andLibros HispanosBiblioteca Virtual Miguel de CervantesI have long utilized a very friendly web site to keep track of any books that are a part of my library, especially those which I have read or wish to read and those which I want to save up for and obtain for my library. My Librarything is a great tool for managing, reviewing, commenting and all around keeping track of your library as it grows.Please take a look at my own personal little library here. I still have many more to add but it is a glimpse at the types of sources I have used from the day I began researching my family and later became involved with genetic genealogy. Books are both for traditional and genetic genealogy and are in Spanish and English:Mi Biblioteca / My LibraryIn many of these books, partuclarly those dealing with Puerto Rico, I have found my ancestors with references to additional areas and resources that were helpful in adding new information to my tree. The excellent bibliographies contained in most of these books have made my never-ending research tasks much easier.I will include this on every blog post so that it will be accessible for those researching in my part of the world.
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