Online library catalogs

The CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH system (EIN, or the Electronic Information Network):

SEARCH THE CARD CATALOG of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh system online by going to The Catalog catalog.einetwork.net/search.The system was recently upgraded so that you can search the whole system as before or you can search in just the Mt. Lebanon Library if you wish.

If you find a book in the catalog that is currently on loan to another borrower or you'd like to REQUEST A BOOK FROM

ANOTHER LIBRARY within the system, click on the "Request" button. You will be asked to enter your name, library card number, and where you would like to pick up your book.

To request something that is NOT found within the collections of the Carnegie Library System, fill out the INTERLIBRARY LOAN form that's at www.carnegielibrary.org/borrowing/illrequest.html. Before you fill out a form for an Interlibrary Loan, check the Carnegie Library online catalog to verify that your item isn't there!

SEARCH ALL PENNSYLVANIA LIBRARY CATALOGS:

Here's a description of how to do a search of all Pennsylvania library catalogs from the Mt. Lebanon Library web page.

Here's what we do to check simultaneously the catalogs of all the libraries in the state.

Go to Mt. Lebanon Library's main web page www.mtlebanonlibrary.org/ and click on the ACCESS PENNSYLVANIA button in the left column.

Now you're at a page called Welcome to the Access Pennsylvania Database. Click on Search the Database.

When a new page comes up, click on the little map icon at the top of the big map to search library catalogs in the whole state.

On the next page, click on All Libraries.

Finally, you're at the search page. You can choose to search by Keyword, Author, Title, or other categories (see Note below). Then fill out the rest of the page as you see fit and click on the Search button.

If you find a title you're interested in, click on it. Then print out the resulting page of information and bring it to the librarians at the Reference Department of the Mt. Lebanon Library. They'll help you from there.

Phew!

Note:
If you're looking for genealogical information type this: Tanner family (that is, if your family is named Tanner)

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Online library catalogs outside of the Carnegie Library system:

University of Pittsburgh Library catalog is at pittcat.pitt.edu

Historic Pittsburgh digital.library.pitt.edu/pittsburgh is a digital collection of books, maps, census schedules (Pittsburgh

1850-1880 and Allegheny City 1850-1870 only), and more. The information can be searched and read online.

The Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania Library and Archives Catalog is at digital.library.pitt.edu/hswp

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's www.digitalarchives.state.pa.us, currently displays digitized information records about the Revolutionary War, World War I and the Spanish American War, with plans for more.

Here is a web page that outlines the genealogical resources available at the Penn State Library: www.libraries.psu.edu/artshumanities/history/genealogy_guide.htm.

The Library of Virginia catalogs www.lva.lib.va.us include a digital collection of Virginia historical documents.

The Big Ten Libraries (plus the University of Chicago) can be searched at www.lib.ohio-state.edu/screens/menucic.html

The Library of Congress Card Catalog is at catalog.loc.gov

The Allen County Public Library www.acpl.lib.in.us is one of the largest genealogical libraries in the country.

Libdex, www.libdex.com/country.html, is a directory of library homepages worldwide.

Don't forget to use local libraries to find such sources as

. . . Family Associations,
. . . Local and Family Histories,
. . . microfilms of local newspapers,
. . . and Town and Village Directories.

Small-town libraries have been especially helpful to us in our research.