Searching for information at a local level is very challenging.
1. Be prepared to be frustrated at times.
2. Give yourself plenty of time to conduct this research.
3. You may not think of books as sources of information, but sometimes books can provide a context that you may not get otherwise.
4. Look at newspapers for articles on your location. Newsbank provides coverage from articles in all 50 states, plus countries around the world.
5. Public libraries frequently have local history rooms. They are usually in the main branch. Call your public library to see if they have one; talk with the local history librarian, and ask her/him if the library has information on your location.
6. If your location is in a nondescript place; i.e., granny's house--search for information on the neighborhood or on the city/town.
7. Look for local historical societies, state historical societies, and state archives.
8. Check university special collections and digital collections to see if they have oral histories or manuscripts that would be relevant to your place.
Search for books, articles, and more through our library search system.
