periodical source index persiThe Periodical Source Index, commonly known as PERSI, is a key resource for genealogists, yet it is one that isn’t used as much as it should be.

Now I know some of you already know about PERSI, while others don’t, so please bear with me as I give you a brief explanation.

The Periodical Source Index was created by the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They have created an index of over 2 million entries from the articles from over 11,000 genealogy and local history periodicals, which even includes over 3000 titles that are no longer published. These periodicals come from US local, state, national organisations, as well as numerous international societies and groups. The index which has been collected over the past 3o years, and arranged the entries by surname or location and 22 basic subject headings.

PERSI provides family historians with access to articles, photos, and other material that they may otherwise never locate through traditional search methods. PERSI can be a great way to locate cemetery transcriptions and other records that have only appeared in a serial publication, as well as family histories, and articles on the locations of your ancestors.

Previously available through the Allen County Public Library, as well as online through subscription website  HeritageQuest, the Periodical Source Index has found a new home at findmypast.com.

But findmypast aren’t simply listing the index, they are enhancing PERSI by linking thousands of individual genealogical periodicals and resources to the index, allowing the original content to be accessed and connected digitally for the first time in the history of PERSI. Some digitized records went online during February 2014 with with more articles to be added over time.

For more about the PERSI and findmypast  partnership,  click here.

And to start searching, click here. You can search the index for free, though to view anything further you will need a subscription, or buy PayAsYouGo Credits.