Marks and Brands books, county court records and others can yield intriguing information. Before you plunge into courthouse records, take some time and study the local history of the area where your ancestors lived. Examine information you have gathered from all sources and recorded on family group sheets to see what additional information you might expect to find in county records. Know what facts you need in advance of your research. Write some research objectives, that is, what you need to know and where you hope to find the information.
County records are available in places besides the actual courthouse.
You may be able to borrow the film you need through the Family History Centers of the LDS Church. State and regional archives may have copies of the LDS microfilm of county records. In addition, archives repositories may have additional county records, not filmed by the LDS, on microfilm. County records have been a popular indexing and transcription project for many individuals and groups. These compilations make the records more accessible but you must remember these are secondary sources and if you find something of interest, you should go to the original record, the primary source.