As a forerunner to the Ask the Archivist campaign in the US and Explore your archives campaign in the UK, RQG would like to highlight archival resources that may be undiscovered to both to our members and the wider genealogical community.

Archives and archivists are the lifeblood of historical research, especially for genealogists.  Without records created and protected over centuries, the lives of our ancestors would be lost in the mists of time.

It is tempting to think that in these digital times everything is now online.  This, however, is not true and the vast amount of records held by archives are only available through the actual archives themselves.  It is also vital to remember that the records that are available online are probably from your local archive in conjunction with a genealogy company.

Archivists themselves are a great resource. They can help with access to rare records and also where to find elusive records!

This year we are celebrating three types of archive:

• University archives and special collections
• Business archives
• Private archives

Over the next few weeks there will be profiles of archives from all three categories to celebrate the range and depth of archives available to genealogists and historians alike.

#ExploreArchives #AskAnArchivist