"The Periodical Source Index, or PERSI, is the largest subject index to genealogical and historical periodical articles in the world. Created by the foundation and department staff of the Historical Genealogy Department of the library here in Fort Wayne, Indiana, PERSI is widely recognized as being a vital source for genealogical researchers.  PERSI is a comprehensive subject index covering genealogy and local history periodicals written in English and French (Canada) since 1800. The time period of the articles ranges from the 1700s to the present. More than 1.1 million index entries from nearly six thousand titles are represented by this work.

The bad news is that the index is not available online for free. The CD-ROM runs between $80 and $100, and is available at online stores like Ancestry.com.  However, if you live anywhere close to a Family History Center, PERSI is available there for free.  If you are a member of Ancestry.com, PERSI is one of the databases included in your membership.

To give you an idea of the information available, I obtained copies of the membership records at my great-grandparent's church.  I also got the ledger of the little village store where my great-great-grandparents shopped.   Because PERSI is an index of genealogy and local history articles, it covers such things as old copies of a genealogical society's newsletters or magazines--the places where those oddball kind of articles are likely to turn up.”

Whether you own the CD-ROM, or access the information the FHC, this is only an index. If you live in Fort Wayne IN,  you can go to the Allen County Library and get copies of the articles off the microfilms.  If you don't live there, you can send a request to the library (form is located at  http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/
 database/graphics/order_form.html

You may request six articles at a time, and the charge is a flat $7.50 fee, plus $0.20 per page copied.  Believe it or not, you don't enclose money with your request--when they send the copies they send a bill with it.

[from AncestorNews, An Electronic Newsletter for Internet Genealogists, V. 2, #3 - Jan 29, 2000. Used with permission]

Ed. note: Many public libraries with genealogy sections have this in book form, too.  A  number of local libraries now  subscribe to Ancestry.com for patron use, so you can use that database.