Optional Visit - Stratford upon Avon

While we were in Stratford upon Avon we stopped by the Public Library. The library does not have its own website, but some information, such as hours of operation, can be found on the Warwickshire website here. One of the main functions of this library that I noticed is researching family history. This has been a trend in many of the libraries and archives that we have visited, and the librarians have told us that it is greatly due to the television program, Who Do You Think You Are? People are more interested in finding their family history now. Each library specializes in its own area for genealogical research, and the Stratford library was no different. The library has brochures that show the various resources it has including: parish registers, census returns, electoral registers, local newspapers, maps, trade directories, monumental inscriptions, CD-ROMs, books, and the Internet with links to local studies and family history websites. The sources are specific to the area, and can help family researchers find the information they are searching for. There are local studies librarians to provide further assistance as needed. There is even a family history group, which meets on the first Friday of the month at the library. All of the genealogical resources that we have seen have made me consider looking into my own family history when I return to Florida!