In Tracing Your Ancestors in Alberta , Victoria Lemieux and David Leonard cover archival collections of genealogical interest in Alberta. Rodovid by Kathlyn Szalasznyj describes sources under the categories family, community and official. You may be able to find a handbook which will help you to use the records more efficiently. For example, A Guide to Ontario Land Records , published by the Ontario Genealogical Society, discusses the information needed to undertake research in a land registry office, and the problems you may encounter. Beginning genealogists may wish to join a genealogical society through which they can meet and get advice from more experienced researchers, attend conferences, participate in workshops, receive periodicals, etc.
Many handbooks list the major societies of a region or province.
Meyer's Directory of Genealogical Societies in the U.S.A. and Canada provides addresses and telephone numbers for provincial societies and their branches, special interest and single name family organizations. Other directories have been designed to help the genealogist or family historian find the archives or library which can best help them with their research. Ancestors' vital statistics are of course the key facts for which the genealogist is searching. Various sources can provide birth, marriage and death data including official records of civil registration, parish registers and newspapers. When accessible, these sources are often scattered among libraries, archives and other institutions.