Findmypast continues to update images in the PERSI

The Periodical Source Index or PERSI is a well-known resource that originated with the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Library's Genealogy Center has one of the most important collections of genealogical reference material in the United States. The PERSI was acquired by Findmypast.com and in conjunction with the Federation of Genealogical Societies, they are making digital images of the vast collection of genealogically important articles available online.

Findmypast.com explains the process on their website as follows:

Digital images of articles in the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) will be increasingly accessible, thanks to findmypast’s partnership with the Federation of Genealogical Societies. Growing numbers of genealogical and historical organizations nationwide are joining the initiative to digitize and provide access to their local publications, including quarterlies, newsletters and other serials, on the PERSI index. 

If the articles you would like to study are not yet available as linked issues to PERSI, there are many other avenues you can try. Contacting the publisher of the periodical containing the article you’re interested in can be a quick and cheap means of accessing photocopies, digital copies, and complete issues. You might even find that the publisher covers other materials that relate to your ancestral research, and discover more useful information. 

Alternatively, you might find the periodical in a library or other research repository in your area. Try searching your local library’s online catalog. If the title does not appear there, search OCLC’s WorldCat.org. WorldCat is the largest bibliographic database in the world, and can generate a list of libraries local to you that own a particular item. 

Finally, you can engage the research services of the Allen County Public Library’s Genealogy Center and order a copy of your periodical article. An “Article Request Form” can be completed at:www.acpl.lib.in.us/database/graphics/order_form.html

The contents of the collection is described as follows:

The PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) enables you to easily locate key information about people and places. It contains over 2.5 million entries from thousands of historical, genealogical and ethnic publications, making it an invaluable, comprehensive family history resource. 

PERSI provides a simple way to access articles, photos, and other material you might not find using traditional search methods. This can help to build the historical context around your personal research, and the world your ancestors lived in. 

Most of PERSI’s articles are from periodicals covering the United States and Canada, but you can also find thousands of genealogy and local history entries (in both English and French) from Britain, Ireland and Australia.