Finding People

• This guide outlines some of the main sources you can use to help you look for family and old friends
• If you need further explanation about anything in this guide or if there is something you need that is not covered here, you can contact us for information
• The web sites mentioned below are in WebLinks at the Finding people section or at the Family history section
• If you wish, you can print all the sections

Contents

• What do you know already?
• Adoption
• Electoral registers online
• Printed electoral registers
• Telephone directories
• Internet general search engines and people-finding search engines
• Reunion web sites
• Social networking sites
• Non-commercial people-finding services
• Newspapers
• Might the person you are looking for have married?
• Might the person you are looking for have died?
• Do you need to employ a professional researcher?
• Do you wish to pay a commercial organisation or private investigator?

Further information

• Library catalogue
• Contact us - for help to find information, from your local librarians
• 'Enquire' - a 24-hour chat enquiry service from the national People's Network. Local librarians take part in 'Enquire' on a rota basis but it is likely that you would be answered by a librarian from another library service

Library contact details and opening times