So you found an old photo of your ancestor in the attic. He or she is clad in what you think must be a World War II uniform.  But you know almost nothing about his or her service. There may be visual clues to help you find out.

That’s when you go to Finding Your Father’s War by Jonathan Gawne.

This book talks about how to track down records on your World War II ancestor. It is also heavily illustrated throughout with both black-and-white and color photographs and drawings.

Appendices include military insignia, military vehicle markings, campaigns of World War II, official abbreviations used in World War II, and a select bibliography for further research.  Finding Your Father’s War is available for use at the Washington State Library.

In honor of Pearl Harbor Day, the Washington State Library is featuring “American Battle Monuments,” edited by Elizabeth Nishiura. 

This guide provides detailed descriptions of battle monuments honoring soldiers from World War I, World War II, and other conflicts. Each monument’s entry includes its location, hours, a description of the site, and a history of its development.  Specific names of soldiers are not included in this guide, but genealogists can track those down using sites like Find a Grave and the Nationwide Gravesite Locator from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The “American Battle Monuments” entry for the Honolulu Memorial and National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific include descriptions of major Pacific Operations of World War II, as well as the Korean Conflict.

Did you ever wonder what that symbol on great granddad’s tombstone meant? Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography is just what you need. 

This is an outstanding resource for deciphering cemetery symbolism. It includes hundreds of beautiful color photographs from cemeteries around the world.

The chapter on fraternal organizations and secret societies is especially fascinating.  If you can identify one of these symbols on an ancestor’s grave, it may lead you down a new path of research!

Ever wonder what an anaplerotic is?

How about a faldstool or a knockknobbier?

If you’ve ever run across strange words in historical records, Ancestry’s Concise Genealogical Dictionary can help. It defines a wide range of obscure legal and colloquial words and phrases that you may find when researching your family history.

In case you’re wondering:

Anaplerotic: “Medicine which promoted the healing process and helps renew flesh or wasted parts—often found in medical records.”

Faldstool: “A portable folding seat used by a bishop when visiting other churches; a portable stool or desk used in praying.”

Knockknobbier: “The person whose duty it was to chase dogs out of church if they became a nuisance.”

Are you a genealogist or family historian?  Would you like to find out more about the resources available at the Washington State Library and Washington State Archives for researching your Washington relatives?  Then you’re in luck this weekend!  Librarian Kim Smeenk will be highlighting genealogical resources at the State Library and Archives in a free presentation at the Heritage Quest Research Library on Saturday, October 22 at 10 AM in historic downtown Sumner.  HQRL is a nonprofit genealogy library, managed and staffed entirely by volunteers.  You can find directions to HQRL here.  Hope to see you there!

Reports that the FBI is investigating a “creditable” D.B. Cooper lead have the news outlets and blogosphere buzzing.  Here’s just one such story from the Seattle Times.  News sites are relying on information from the niece of the suspect (and upcoming authoress), who identifies him as her uncle Lynn Doyle (L.D.) Cooper, who passed away ten years ago.

WSL librarian Kathryn did some digging in several of the genealogy resources we have linked to, and found additional information about the fascinating L.D. Cooper.  Using the Department of Veterans Affairs burial database, she found he is buried in Pilot Butte military cemetery in Oregon.  The database also indicates he was in the Navy and served in Korea.  Pictures of his gravestone are listed in Find a Grave.

Further clues await the amateur sleuth with access to Ancestrylibrary (available for free to visitors of the State Library).  Is that his wedding certificate in Reno, NV?  Is that him pictured in a US Navy Cruise book from 1949?  No doubt the FBI is hot on the trail.

Until we find out more, feel free to check out the many previously published books on D.B. Cooper, including “D.B. : A Novel” by Elwood Reid, recently reviewed by Northwest librarian Sean.  There’s lots of good reading material out there for those who want a refresher on this iconic Washington story.  These books and more are available at the State Library or your local public library!

Washington State Library releases never-before-microfilmed newspapers from the Snoqualmie Valley!

Washington State Library microfilms Washington newspapers to preserve and provide access to Washington’s history.  Lent by Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum, the newspapers include issues from 1913 through 1925. These newspapers provide a fascinating look at life in Snoqualmie Valley communities almost 100 years ago.

To see what papers and what time periods are covered, visit http://www.sos.wa.gov/library/SnoqualmieValleyMicrofilm.aspx

More information about newspapers on microfilm at Washington State Library including how to purchase copies.

Information about Newspapers at Washington State Library.

Volume 7, February 17, 2011 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) FREE GENEALOGY EVENT – BING CROSBY’S FAMILY HISTORY

2) WLA ANNUAL CONFERENCE – REGISTER NOW

3) PUBLIC RECORDS & OPEN MEETING FORUM

4) FREE WEBWISE CONFERENCE

5) HOST THE KING JAMES BIBLE TRAVELING EXHIBIT

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

Volume 7, January 27, 2011 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) FIRST TUESDAYS – INNOVATION AT WTBBL

2) LIBRARY LEGISLATIVE DAY

3) FREE GENEALOGY EVENT – BING CROSBY’S FAMILY HISTORY

4) WASHINGTON LIBRARY SNAPSHOT DAY

5) VIDEO CONTEST – ESPECIALLY FOR TEENS

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

We in the “librarian” profession are always working hard to better ourselves. We read hundreds of books every week (at least!), we memorize data and statistics for kicks, and we constantly remind ourselves that “Wikipedia is not a primary resource, Wikipedia is not a primary resource …”

We do a lot, dear patrons, to educate ourselves on how to serve you better. Happily, now you can return the favor.

Ancestry Magazine recently posted an online article, “10 Tips to Becoming an Effective Library Patron,” and in it you can learn the hallowed secrets that will allow you to get twice the benefit out of your library in half the time. Mainly a tool for those who use their libraries for genealogical research, there are nonetheless some great tips here for any library researcher, such as:

1. Come Prepared
2. Use the Online Catalog
3. Learn the Library’s Classification System
4. Ask about Materials That Aren’t Catalogued
5. Go Easy on the Library Staff
6. Gather Handouts and Brochures
7. Go Beyond the Genealogy Department
8. Respect the Material
9. Don’t Forget Interlibrary Loan
10. Use All Available Resources

Want to learn more about becoming a better library researcher? Check out the full article over at ancestrymagazine.com (don’t worry, it’s free).