The last time you were in a college or university library, you were probably cramming for finals or sweating out a research paper for English Lit. So your strolls down alma mater memory lane may tend more toward the football stadium or the student union than the library stacks. But now there's a reason to revisit your alma mater or to explore college and university libraries closer to home — your family history research.

Why turn to an academic library for help with your family tree? True, most college and university libraries don't have a “genealogy collection.” But academic libraries usually do have substantial history collections, often concentrating on the local area, and many also have special collections, either as manuscripts or on microfilm. Whatever your level of research, you'll be surprised by the hidden treasures you can dig up in academic libraries. The key is to look for ways to use the materials commonly found in these libraries to enhance your family research.