There is nothing worse than walking into a library or archive that is filled with possibilities and you don't have a clue what you are hoping to find. I have done this as have many others. But, now I make a plan. A shopping list, if you will. I first of all determine which family line is going to be best served by the resources at the repository that I am going to. Then I begin a list of what are the questions that I want to address. For example, next week I am going with a group from my genealogy society to the Minnesota Historical Society Library in St. Paul. This facility has an online presence and I am going to my group sheets, checking where I want to find specific information (such as a death date) then finding the certificate number online so that I can then find that certificate immediately. I also know that the MN facility has naturalization papers so will look for those that pertain to my husbands family, as they were all in Minnesota. Right now my shopping list has 11 naturalization papers I am searching for, 12 death certificates and 4 obituaries. This keeps me focused and my searches and not wandering around wondering what to do next. Bringing the printed version of the pedigree/family group sheets will also show me the blank spots in my research and if I have time I can work on any others that arise, if I have the time. But, with the shopping list I can prioritize my research and therefore get those items that are most important to me on this trip.
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