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May 12, 2006

Database Spotlight

This is the first in a series of postings highlighting the online research databases available through the Darien Library website. The databases profiled here are searchable at the Library or from the comfort of your home. All you need to access them is a computer, an Internet connection, and a Darien Library Card. (If you are a non-resident who works in Darien or who is a Contributor to the Library, you can access our research databases using your home library card barcode. If you have not yet registered your card in our system, stop by our Circulation Desk on your next visit, and we'll take care of it.)

Trying to track down that obituary you read a year ago, but not sure where to start. Don't worry; you don't have to use the microfilm machine. The Darien Library has a new database, America's Obituaries & Death Notices (AODN), that provides access to obituaries and death notices that have appeared in newspapers throughout the United States. Coverage for some of the larger national papers like The San Francisco Chronicle goes back as far as 1985, but for most it's more like the last 5-10 years. You can access the AODN database through the Library's home page. Just click once on the Databases & Websites link at the top of our home page. On the next page, under "List of Databases," click once on America's Obituaries & Death Notices. If you're accessing the database from home, you'll be asked to enter your 14-digit library barcode number to identify yourself as a Darien resident, town employee, or Friend of the Library. Once you've done that, hit enter on your keyboard. On the home screen of the obituaries database, you'll see three search boxes. You can search by the last name of the deceased and then limit the results to a specific date or date range and/or by specific keywords from the text of the obituary. Narrow your search by selecting a specific region or state (hold down the control key to select more than one region or state at a time.) The results of your search will be listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent obituaries listed first. The AODN database does not include every newspaper published in the United States (only 19 Connecticut newspapers are included), but it's a good place to begin your search. Who knows, you may discover some relatives you didn't know you had! Give it a try and post your comments right here on the Info-Tech Blog. I hope to hear from you!

Posted by JudyS at May 12, 2006 03:29 PM