Family History

 Family history resources

• Our lending magazines and books contain guides to family history research, Scottish clans, family names.
• The reference collection contains mostly New Zealand material with some Australian, English, Scots and Irish information. It is owned partly by the Rotorua District Library and partly by the Rotorua Branch of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists.
• Sources on searchable CDROMs and microfiche are also available on the 2nd floor. See below for more detail.
• Ancestry.com is accessible on the catalogue computers.
• Information useful to family historians is all round the Library e.g. local histories, ships, war histories, medals and awards, biographies, etc.  Search on the catalogue or ask our staff to help you access this material. 

Decide what information you want to find e.g. when your grandparents married or where someone lived?  Gather any relevant information you already have (such as names and dates) and bring it with you.  

 

 

 

For Beginners

• Start with yourself and work backwards one generation at a time.
• Look to see what information you can find at home.
  Talk to other family members, especially older ones, about your family history.
• Write down everything you find out about your family and where you found it.  Careful record keeping is important.
• Read some guides on how to do family history research.
• Come to the Library with a goal in mind. This will make it easier to find the right resources and easier for staff to help you.
• Join your local genealogy group. The members are extremely knowledgeable and helpful to beginners. 

Our best resource is the combined knowledge of our staff who are only too happy to help you navigate to the pertinent information.  Come and see us or email for assistance.