Most information about people can be found at the local level where the
individual has lived and worked. Was your subject in business? Did he or she
rent or own property? Were vehicles registered in his or her name? Married?
Divorced? Were children born of the marriage? What about friends and family
members who lived - or still live - in the same area?
County and state records sources may provide you with an overview of your
subject's lifestyle, but the best local sources are people who know or knew the
subject. These people can provide color and
details - very
desirable information.
Records can be searched either by accessing free public records online via the
record holders database (when available) or by requesting a copy from the agency
holding the record, usually
for a small fee.
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Library Sources
Start your information search at the public library. You'll get it quickly, and
at lowest cost. Ask the librarian to explain how to use the microfiche and
microfilm viewers, the copy machines and printers and computers; how to connect
to the Internet.
If you have access to a university library, by all means make use of this
well-funded research and resource facility.
You can order thousands of books and articles through the interlibrary loan
system; get resource material from The Library of Congress, data from The
National Archives.
Law libraries, genealogical and special interest organizations participate and
contribute to the interlibrary loan system.
A review of the resource material that follows will confirm this fact: the
library is the best place to begin your search.
These resource books will afford an overview of what is available in your area
of interest and help you find specific information faster.
- How to Do Library Research,
- Guide to Reference Books,
- Finding Facts Fast: How to Find Out What You Want Immediately
Reference Books
American Library Directory lists national, state, county & city libraries.
Directory of Special Librarieslists university, state, religious, law,
genealogy, and public administration libraries.
Books in Print
and
Book in Print Online Database, lists books by subject, author, and title.
The Directory of
Associations lists every association in the United States (including
professional, business, and social), the organization's president, his or her
telephone number and address or
The use
Associations online might be helpful.
The Encyclopedia of Associations
lists religious organizations, labor unions, sororities, fraternities, trade
unions, and commercial organizations. Also listed: social welfare, cultural,
veterans, athletic, and genealogical organizations, as well as state Chambers of
Commerce. These organizations invariably maintain a list of members - past and
present.
Martindale-Hubbel Law
Directory lists all practicing attorneys in a given time period.
Who's Who includes information about important people. There are other
editions of this directory printed as well, like Who's Who in the West, Who's
Who in the East, and Who's Who in Business. Your library has other
publications about notable persons.
City and Criss-cross Directories
Published by local phone companies and nationally by others, these folks sell
information compiled by investigators who survey neighborhoods in person and
from customer questionnaires. Combined with information from phone
companies and government records, these directories will sometimes give you
information not otherwise available, such as your subject's place of employment,
spouse's name, and occasionally, even unpublished phone numbers.
The directories are cross-indexed by name, address and phone number, which -
starting with a single fact - allows you to develop and flesh out your
information base. Back issues are often available at the library, the phone
company, or the Chamber of Commerce. Old directories are also stored in state
archives and state libraries. Ask your librarian for help locating directories
for the years of interest to you.
Look into the past! Your subject may have had a listed number which was changed
to an unlisted one. A woman who is listed when she is single gets a new phone
number when she marries. Knowledge of these facts may help you acquire relevant
data.
Some directory publishers and database companies perform a national search for
their subscribers and clients for a fee.
There are many search engines on-line that offer free phone number, address and
business searches. Try as many as you can but keep in mind they can only deliver
the information from the sources from which the subscribe. Your best lead may
still come from an old phone book at the local Library.
Here is link to our favorite free people finder & business search engines:
http://www.switchboard.com/
(Includes neighbors)
Cole Directory publishes household directories for every major population
area in the United States and Canada. You'll pay a start-up fee as well as a
monthly service charge, plus a "per look up" fee. Cole Publications
Website:
http://www.coleinformation.com/
Contact:
http://www.coleinformation.com/careers_contact.aspx
Hains Criss-Cross Directory
lists by telephone number, address, and zip code. Hains leases its directories
to businesses, professionals, agencies, and libraries. Libraries can request any
information contained in previously issued directories. Ask your research
librarian for assistance.
The Polk Directory
lists by surname, address and phone number. The Directory sometimes lists
subject's occupation, place of employment & spouse's name. It will indicate
whether the subject rents or owns the property at the address given.
Business Directories
Dun & BradstreetStandard &
Poors, and
Moody's
are business directories published by corporate credit rating companies. These
folks interview the officers of a corporation's bank, review corporate reports
and prospectuses. They send field investigators to facilities to question
executives and managers, and obtain names of suppliers, who are also questioned.
Combined with other information, a financial picture of the corporation emerges
and a rating is established. The findings are then published in the business
directories listed above, which are available for your perusal in most
libraries.
Newspapers
Gale Directory of PublicationsUlrich's International Yearbook, and
Editor &
Publisher International Yearbook each list all local and regional
newspapers.
The
New York Times Archives
has articles online since 1981. Search the
New York Times by Topic. Articles from newspapers may be kept at the library
on
DIALOG
or similar databases. Back issues may be stored on microfilm at the local
library or newspaper morgue.
Magazines
The Reader's
Guide to Periodical Literature
is an index of magazine articles organized by subject, author, and title.
The
Gail Standard Periodical Directry can also point you to articles of
interest.
AcqWeb Directory of
Publishers and Vendor, online source.
The Social
Science Index
features in-depth articles published in academic and professional journals.
The
Guide to American Directories (on Amazon) published by B. Klein Publications
lists hundreds of directories you'll find useful if you are looking for
information about a business or industrial or commercial enterprise.
The Internet provides access to most every publication listed above, and many
more. Check the directories. Check by subject. Check back issues.
Community
Resources
Telephone Company/Telephone Bill
Your phone bill lists all toll calls placed from your phone, the call length,
and the time and date the call was placed. You may request and get a computer
printout of all toll calls made during the past six months. (Available from most
telephone companies.)
Phone Books
Phone books for other communities can be ordered, generally for a fee, by
calling the phone company in that area. Some phone companies will order phone
books from other communities for you, generally for a fee.
Most libraries shelve local phone books as well as directories from surrounding
communities. Many libraries also have major city directories on microfiche.
Another interesting and practical use for phone directories: checking the
correct spelling of names.
Directory Assistance
The directory assistance operator will access the computer for the name you
specify. You can get the number and the address, too, most of the time, if you
ask for it at the onset of the conversation. If you end up with several possible
numbers, you might try calling person- to-person. If you get the wrong party,
you can
ask the operator to ask the party if your
subject is known to them. Ask the operator
to ask what time they'll be home. You might get lucky.
Local US Postal Service
You can get an address verification by writing to the Postmaster who heads up
the post office that delivers your subject's mail, or visit that post office.
(Any post office will give you the information, but it's quicker to go to the
subject's local post office.)
You can get change of address information form the US Postal Service.
Another way to get a change of address is by addressing a letter to your subject
and writing on the left side of the envelope, just below the return address:
"Address Correction Requested" and "Do Not Forward. Return to sender if not
deliverable to this address. Return postage guaranteed."
Credit Bureau
Check with the local credit bureau. Request a report on an individual or firm
you intend doing business with and receive the credit bureau's report - for a
fee.
Chamber of Commerce
The local Chamber of Commerce will cheerfully give you free and detailed
information about the local area, local businesses (especially those that are
members), professional people, local organizations, trade and labor unions.
Church Records
The Yearbook of American Churches lists all churches.
Records are kept by local churches and synagogues and are also maintained at
diocese and synod level. Membership records include Sunday school, marriage,
tithe, and death records, and information about marriages performed for
nonmembers of the congregation.
See
National Directory for listings of individual Churches.
Local Newspapers
Ask, and you may gain access to the local newspaper morgue, or be allowed use of
the microfiche. Editors and reporters familiar with past newsworthy events may
provide first-hand information.
Police Department
A city police department can often help you locate a missing person by working
with other city and county law enforcement organizations.
Schools
Patterson's American Educators lists names and addresses of all public and
private colleges, universities, junior colleges, high schools, and grammar
schools in the United States. Contact the "Student Records Office" or the
"Admissions Office." Local school boards might have useful records or
information about where records are stored.
School Libraries
School libraries keep old yearbooks. Yearbooks contain amazing clues
about an individual's classmates, activities, social status, popularity,
scholastic excellence (or lack thereof) and political prowess. Ask the librarian
to photocopy pages that concern your subject. Get information about clubs,
activities, areas of study, achievements, affiliations, etc.
University and College Alumni Associations
Reunion committees often have information about former students, including their
addresses, phone numbers, and occupation. They may even have the addresses,
phone numbers, and more, of parents, spouses, and children. Many alumni
organizations publish a directory and a bulletin. Call the college or university
for the name of the coordinator.
The National Reunion Association lists 5,000 reunion associations.
National Reunion Associations:
http://www.1-800-reunion.com/
National Reunion Registry
845 Port Way, Clarkston, WA 99403
Neighbors
Every neighborhood has at least one observant person who follows everyone else's
comings and goings. That individual can tell you who goes where, who lives
where, where everybody works, what new purchases - like new cars and room
additions - have been made. They love to tell you what they've learned over the
years. Talkers, braggarts, and storytellers are some of your best sources for
background info. Show a little interest and these folks will go on and on . . .
Employers
Employers generally will not release information about present or past employees
to just anyone who calls or writes - unless that person has a signed release
from that individual. Employers will release information about an
employee to other businesses for credit or employment purposes. Most employers
will verify information you already have in your possession.
Co-Workers
These people often know where your subject has moved to and who his or her new
employer is. Co-workers are often personally acquainted with subject's friends
and know where those people hang out.
Personal Acquaintances
Your subject's friends may willingly provide answers to your most
difficult-to-answer questions. Be careful how you approach these folks and how
you present yourself. If you appear to be a debt collector, or someone who might
be holding an arrest warrant or other legal demand, you'll probably get little
or no cooperation. If, on the other hand, you are perceived as a benefactor or
the bearer of good news, you'll likely be accorded the respect due such a
messenger.
City/town Courthouse
Most cities and many towns maintain records, similar to county court records,
about local residents: their birth, traffic offenses, marriages, building
permits they've applied for, criminal offenses, divorces, civil suits, business
licenses issued to them, property transfers, involvement in legal actions, and
their death.
City Assessor
The city assessor has lists of owners of real property, along with information
about the assessed value of that property.
Cemetery and Mortuary Records
Records maintained by these privately-owned businesses include burial permits,
funeral service registers, funeral and memorial arrangements, obituaries,
intermediate orders, and perpetual care arrangements.
Voter's Registration
The city or county Voter's Registration Office maintains "Precinct Books" or
"Rosters of Voters." You'll find a voter's name, address, date of registration,
and political party affiliation listed. Some rosters may show former addresses,
employer, and/or date of birth. Older records may be stored in the state library
or archives.
Newspapers
Gale Directory of Publications, Ulrich's International Yearbook, and
Editor & Publisher International Yearbook each list all local and regional
newspapers.
The New York Times Index The New York Times Index has back copies on microfilm.
Articles from newspapers may be kept at the library on DIALOG or similar
databases. Back issues may be stored on microfilm at the local library or
newspaper morgue.
Magazines
The Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature is an index of magazine
articles organized by subject, author, and title.
The Standard Periodical Directory can also point you to articles of
interest.
The Social Science Index features in-depth articles published in
academic and professional journals.
The Guide to American Directories lists hundreds of directories you'll
find useful if you are looking for information about a business or industrial or
commercial enterprise.
The Internet provides access to most every publication listed above, and many
more. Check the directories. Check by subject. Check back issues.
Order a Background Check online now!. Experienced database search
specialists will immediately go to work for you, to quickly return real,
meaningful results.
See our
Sample Report
Our
Expert Background Checks offers guaranteed search results, free consultation
and 24 hour return.
Individual court records are available for our
Business Members. No
Sign-up fee or monthly minimums.
More Information.>
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