There is nothing more helpful that a handy reference book with information specific to the area you are researching. I've listed below those that I know about.
(find in a library) will give you a link to help you find the book in the library closest to you. Most will show libraries near Ann Arbor... to change the location, type in your zip code and you can find libraries near you.

All of the three books listed below have a small section covering each state that includes maps, historical information, vital records coverage and a bibliography of resources for that state.

1. Handybook for Genealogists ( 11th edition) (find in a library) (note: some libraries may have earleir editions; those are perfectly usable)
2. Ancestry's Redbook (you'll want the 3rd edition) (find in a library)
3. The Family Tree Resource Book for Genealogical Research (find in a library)

Barefield. Researching in Alabama: A Genealogical Guide. Originally published 1987; revised 1998 (out of print) (find in a library)

Davis. Tracing Your Alabama Past (find in a library)

Elliott. Research in Alabama (out of print)

Alabama: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries Historical Atlas of Alabama, Vol. 1: Historical Locations by County / Historical Atlas of Alabama, Vol. 2: Cemetery Locations by County (see if your local library owns or can get on ILL) -- also notice you can buy individual county maps.

Alabama Genealogical Society. AGS Magazine.

Maps available for purchase from NARA

Audio-tapes of lectured given at genealogy conferences with the word Alabama in the title.

First, bookmark or print out these FHL documents: Alabama Research Outline and Alabama Historical Background, There is also a timeline for Alabama history at the ADAH site.

Bookmark or print out this Alabama County Map. See also Alabama Historical Maps at the Univeristy of Alabama. See also their maps showing Alabama county formations.

See what's available at the Alabama Gen Web .

See also the ALHN Alabama page and the AHPG Alabmama page. (and 2nd page)

Visit these websites:
* Alabama Dept. of History and Archives They will provide reference assistance (fee for out of staters). The Alabama Dept. of History and Archives provides some major databases that can be searched, including the Civil War Service Cards, which not only allows you to search the cards, but also click to see transcribed information. There is also an 1867 Voter Registration Database and a World War I Gold Star Database.

The Birmingham Public Library houses the Tutwiler Collection of Sourthern History and Literature which includes genealogy sources, espcially so for Birmingham.

* Alabama Genealogical Society -- and find other societies at the Alabama Genealogy Society Directory

Alabama is a public land state, so original patents can be searched at the BLM-GLO website. (click SEARCH in the green bar at the top of the page).

• Alabama Land Records (an overview)
• Understanding Alabama Land Records

Find out about available newspapers at
* Alabama Newspaper Project (available on film). They also have a database of hardbound newspapers. Samford University's Special Collections has a collection of Alabama newspapers on microfilm. Usually once a newspaper has been microfilmed, it can be obtained at your local library through interlibraryloan. An Alabama obituary lookup volunteer might be able to provide the obituary you need.

Obtain vital records using
* Alabama Vital Records (official)
* Vitalrec Alabama Page

Many Alabama records have been destroyed by fire (see map, which prints out better than it reads on screen -- also, leave your cursor on it and you will see an orange box in lower right corner. Click on that and the map will enlarge).

The 1880 census can be searched for free at Familysearch.org Find other online census records and more census information at CensusFinder's Alabama links to find census records online. In addition to federal census records, Alabama took a state census in the years 1820, 1850, 1855 and 1866. The ADAH lists extant state census records.

Find available cemetery readings from Interment.net's Alabama page. See what's been done and in progress at the Tombstone Transcription Project - Alabama (to find out what's been done, you have to click on the link in the "look here first" section, then scroll down past the "help us!" blurb)

Don't overlook your Alabama Black Sheep

To get help from others, see if offers at the Alabama Page of Randam Acts of Genealogical Kindness or the Directory of Volunteers: Alabama might be useful t o you.

Also, post a query in the appropriate Alabama county folder at the Rootsweb/Ancestry or at the Genealogy.com Alabama Genealogy Forum .

You will find many many links to Alabama research material on the web or contributed to the Alabama site Tracking Your Roots . There is a search engine on the front page that will allow you to search all TYR pages in one step -- but note it will not search offsite pages, so be sure to look at all approriate links. An amazing site.

More Links
* Linkpendium's Alabama Links
* Genealogy Today's State Gen Site: Alabama
* Rootsweb U. S.Sources: Alabama
* Genealink's Alabama Page
* Access Genealogy's List of Alabama Links
* Cyndi's List Alabama Page