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A deeper look at contextual sources

Video in which staff from the Mitchell Library, Glasgow explain how library archive sources can add context to your family history research

Patricia Grant, Principal Librarian: Special Collections at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow, Scotland shows us some examples of newspapers, how-to books for genealogists, books on history and a range of different types of directories: trade, street, telephone, occupational and educational from their collection.

The emphasis is on how these sources can give additional information which may be anecdotal but will give clues to what your ancestors were doing and how they lived their lives. They may even clear up family mysteries!

The resources in the ‘See Also’ section below can be consulted for more information or useful links to sources on the topic.

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Genealogy: Researching Your Family Tree

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