Use the Phone Book Genealogists have long considered phone books as an excellent source of help when they look for previously unknown relatives. Many family historians routinely go through the phone book of each community they visit, seeking local residents who share their rare surname. It has proven to be a good tactic, as long as the surname is rare and your approach is sensitive. But, a phone book can be helpful in other aspects of genealogical research, too. You can use both white and yellow pages, and those blue "government" pages, too, to help you locate other information about your family. For example, do you need to know who might have custody of the records of the church where your ancestors worshipped? One way to find out is to call the local congregation of that church to ask who normally keeps those records, and how you should approach them. Or, you can call your county recorder or county clerk to learn who usually cares for old land records or probate proceedings, and how to access them. Or, you can look up the address of the local library, then visit it often to use its holdings, and to order books from other libraries via inter-library loan. When you do make a call, remember your manners. Be considerate of the time and effort you are asking of the person on the other end of the line. Don’t demand their cooperation, rather, thank them for their help and consider that they have other duties, too. Make your requests simple and short. And be the soul of politeness. Like any other reference book a phone book isn’t likely to contain all of the information you need, but it can point you in the right direction and get you started on your way. There are many online sources for phone numbers today. Also, you may find publications that have a "group" of numbers for contact information. Listed below are some links to some of the best resources for contacts. www.anywho.com - One of the top phone directories. www.switchboard.com - One of the top phone directories. www.qwestdex.com - Searches by communities. Sally Rolls Pavia Sun City, AZ [email protected] List Owner: [email protected] "Without genealogy, the study of history is lifeless." All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus 2002 .