You will want to learn about genealogical societies not only in the area where you live, but also in the areas your immigrant ancestors lived. Without the important work of these society members, these records would be almost impossible to locate. For example, members of a genealogical group in Cincinnati took the time to locate and index the death notices in the German language newspapers of that city. Those published indexes, available at many libraries, have helped researchers locate information about their immigrant Germans. Some of those death notices even included the town in Germany where the immigrant was born! Similar efforts by a group of Franco-American researchers in Manchester, New Hampshire have been crucial for those seeking their immigrant's origins in French Canada. To locate societies in a specific area or for more information about genealogical societies in general, contact the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS). This is an umbrella organization of more than 525 genealogical groups throughout North America. Federation of Genealogical Societies P.O. Box 200940 Austin, TX 78720-0940 Phone: 512-336-2731 Fax: 512-336-2732 E-mail: fgs-office@fgs.org Ethnic Societies It is important to take notice of another group of societies. These members are not trained genealogists, and do not focus on learning about individual immigrants. These are societies that focus on an entire ethnic group. They gather information, teach their members, and publish stories, findings, and sources, about that group. While there are some genealogical societies that focus on immigrant groups, most have no genealogical interest at all.