Definitely interested.
I make a policy when I visit a new area to visit the local library or historical society.
I always ask for surname files and local newspapers.
Most information is still at the local level in spite of the internet.
I have been overwhelmed by the information I have been able to find in the local newspapers.
I have worked with genealogists who are very very good at tracking down the real information re parents and grandparents but there are some things they never can find in the official documents.
I found that my g.g.grandfather had a second marriage with a spinster. It’s wasn’t known among the family and it’s certainly not noted in the family bible. I found a small note in a local newspaper. Also, the obituaries usually list all the children, so it fills in a lot of blanks between the ten year census gap.