Where to Find Explanations of Abbreviations in Genealogy Books

Lauren asked Olive Tree Genealogy a question: "I found my Great-Grandfather, Harold Applegren, in this illinois city directory and noticed the number one in parentheses next to his name. What would that mean? I know that he lived with his parents, but I don't know if that symbol is related to that or not."

She included a screenshot:


My Answer

It would be very unusual for a book to not have an explanation of the abbreviations and terms used in the book. It is usually found at the front of the book. So in this case, you should scroll back to the start of the city directory and look for that explanation.

It is always a good idea to check out explanations or details that are provided at the start (preface or introduction) or end of any set of records.  Don't overlook doing a little bit of reading to help you understand what you are looking at - the time frame, the location, abbreviations, a glossary or more might be included.