Newark Public Library

Finding People Resource Guide

This guide was created to help people who have lost contact with friends, former work or military colleagues, or relatives in the recent past. Resources are also provided for people interested in locating a medical specialist or attorney. It is not intended for genealogical research. (Please see the Licking County Genealogical Society's web page for a comprehensive listing of online genealogical resources.)

Useful Books:

What records are deemed public varies from state to state and county to county. These books may help you locate and access the records you need.

The Sourcebook to Public Record Information. Call Number: 352.387 So (2005) Covers county asset/lien records, county court records (county courts handle felonies, civil actions, probate, misdemeanors, evictions and small claims).
How to Locate Anyone Who Has Been in the Military. Call #355.0025 Ho, Main Library.
Includes chapters on Internet searching and expanded resources on how to verify a person's military background. An explanation of how to obtain military records and how to verify military service is also included.
The Investigator's Little Black Book. Call #363.289 Sc
A collection of investigative resources by P.I. Robert Scott.
Naked in Cyberspace: How to Find Personal Information Online. Call # 004.67 La
"Learn how to use online tools and databases to gain competitive intelligence, locate and investigate people, access public records, identify experts, find new customers, recruit employees, search for assets, uncover criminal records, conduct genealogical research, and much more."
Public Records Online: The National Guide to Private and Government Online Sources of Public Records. In Reference.
Call Number: 929.1 Pu
You Can Find Anybody!
"... this book is both a techniques manual and a sources of information manual on locating missing persons that will help give you the near 100 percent success rate in tracking anyone down and finding them fast." Call #363.2336 Cu

Searching for Someone Who Has Lived
in the Newark Area
The following materials are located in the Local History and Genealogy collection on the Main Library's Upper Level.

City and County Directories: The NPLS owns Newark and Licking County directories back to 1858, with the exception of some gaps in the collection. City and county directories list residents by name, street address and telephone number, and sometimes give occupation or employer. Directories published from 1950 to the present are shelved in the Ohio Reference section at Call Number OH Ref. 977.1 NE. Ask a reference librarian for assistance if you need to see directories published before 1950. Signature and I.D. are required to use the directories published before 1950.

Newspaper Clipping File: We maintain files of items pertaining to local history made up of clippings from local newspapers, pamphlets, photocopies, and other ephemeral materials. Ask at Reference Desk. Signature and I.D. are required to use the material.

The Newark Advocate http://www.newarkadvocate.com/ The Main Library has back issues of the Newark Advocate from 1822 to the present on microfilm. If you have the date of a wedding, birth, death, accident or other newsworthy event, check for an article, legal notice or announcement around that date. Click here for information about other newspapers available at the Library, including NewsBank, an online newspaper database with Newark Advocate articles from 2002 to present.

Yearbooks: The Reveille (Newark High School) 1914 through 2002 excluding 1997 [missing]
Special holiday issues for 1921, 1923 and 1924. Also, miscellaneous yearbooks for other Licking County schools. Ask at Reference Desk. Signature and I.D. are required to use the material.

INTERNET RESOURCES

Where to Start?

Start with an online search engine such as Google (www.google.com) or AlltheWeb (http://www.alltheweb.com). If a person has a common name, search the first and last names in quotation marks with other identifying features such as state or occupation. Additionally, portal sites like Yahoo have "people search" sections of their web sites that are dedicated to helping you look up addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of individuals.

Yahoo People Search (http://people.yahoo.com)

Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites: Finding People Page (http://www.cyndislist.com/finding.htm)

Finding Military Personnel

Requests for Military Mailing Addresses from the U.S. Department of Defense. Contains links to information sites for all branches of the U.S. Military.
http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/pis/PC04MLTR.html

Military.com: Site includes Buddy Finder message board.
http://www.military.com

Military Connections: Features include Find a Buddy and Reunion Center.
http://www.militaryconnections.com

Finding a Doctor

AMA Physician Select American Medical Association's Physician Select provides basic professional information such as address, birthdate, and date of graduation from medical school on virtually every licensed physician in the U.S. http://www.ama-assn.org/aps/amahg.htm

The Ohio State Medical Board web site provides options for consumers to locate physicians (M.D.'s, D.O.'s and podiatrists) and to verify licensing information. Under "Consumer Resources," click on either Licensee Profile Status or Find a Licensee in Your Area. http://www5.state.oh.us/med/

Finding a Lawyer

Find a Lawyer: From West Legal Directory, use this website to search for information about lawyers and law firms. http://directory.findlaw.com

Lawyer Locator From Martindale-Hubbell, this database of more than one million lawyers and law firms in 160 countries allows you to search by name, geographic location, practice area, firm size, and languages. http://www.martindale.com/xp/Martindale/Lawyer_Locator/Search_Lawyer_Locator/lawyer_search.xml

Telephone Directories

The Ultimates A directory of online phone books.
www.theultimates.com

Available at the Reference Desk, Main Library: