How to Find Local Heritage Resources

Beginning a local history project can be a daunting prospect, especially if you don’t know where to get started or where to find the right resources. The best way to start is to visit some relevant websites to survey what kinds of sources are out there and to follow up with a conversation with a librarian, archivist or museum professional if you need additional help with your research.

Here are some suggestions to help you start:

• Start by doing a general internet search about the subject you are interested in. You are likely to come across some very general pages, such as Wikipedia. Although Wikipedia is not considered a great academic source, it will give you a basic overview of the subject and it often has some useful references at the bottom.
• Another good website to try is the Canada’s Historic Places Register, which has listings for designated historic sites across the country.
• The next step is to start gathering resources for you history project, and finding out where the right sources are can be one of the most difficult parts. Most publicly available primary sources (original historical material) are housed in some sort of public institution. Try these kinds of institutions first and do a brief search of their catalogue or digital collections to see what have. If you need more help, most places will have professionals whose job it is to help you find the information you are looking for.

• The Provincial Archives of Alberta holds many personal and governmental records at their site in Edmonton. There are also local archives in many cities and towns that may hold collections of local newspapers, letters, photographs and other resources. The Musée Heritage Museum of St. Albert has a great tutorial to get you started on your archival searches.
• If you are affiliated with a college or university, you will be able to find scholarly books or articles published about your subject, and oftentimes post-secondary libraries have access to extensive online databases where primary source material has been digitized and indexed. Even if you don’t attend a university or college, it’s often possible to obtain guest privileges if you contact the institution directly.
• Public libraries and local museums are also really good places to find resources to get started. Local museums often have exhibits about an area’s history, but they probably have a lot more material that didn’t make it out on display and experts who put the exhibit together in the first place. Public libraries may not have as much material themselves, but librarians are experts at helping you locate the information you need. They may also have digitized versions of community records, such as historic newspapers available for public access.
• Another great website to access primary sources is www.ourroots.ca. A number of Canadian local history books and primary sources are published online and are available to the public.
• Finally, another place you can try, both online or in person is a local historical society. There are a number of historical societies who are particularly interested in local heritage and work to preserve a community’s past. Try finding a society in your area, they might be able to point you towards some important resources or offer to help with your project!

These are just a few ideas to get you started with heritage projects. Finding what you need can sometimes be a long process, but the search is actually part of the fun!