Genealogy: A Research Guide

Researching one's family history can be a lifelong journey. Uncovering records and documents that help to piece together the past lives of ancestors is a labor of love for many. If you are new to genealogy research this guide will provide you with a great place to start. The resources listed below present the most standard resources in the field. Many of them will point you to even more resources. If you need assistance in locating books that the library does not own the librarian can help you find it at another library. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library's catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

Ancestral Trails: The Complete Guide to British Genealogy and Family History by Mark D. Herber. Baltimore: Genealogical, 1998. ISBN: 0806315415.
Guide to tracing British records outlines basic steps such as drawing family trees, using census records, and searching for birth, marriage, and death certificates.

Family Pride: The Complete Guide to Tracing African-American Genealogy by Donna Beasley. New York: Macmillan General Reference, 1997. ISBN: 0028608429.
Guide to researching African-American family history and genealogy and offers step-by-step instructions on how to conduct an effective search.

The Genealogist's Companion & Sourcebook, 2nd ed. by Emily A. Croom. Cincinnati: Betterway, 2003. ISBN: 1558706518.
A beyond-the-basics guide to tracing family history. Explains how to research, locate, and use church and funeral home records; government records at federal, state, and local levels, including the U.S. Serial Set and the Territorial Papers of the United States; court records; newspapers; and maps.

Genealogy Online: Researching Your Roots, 7th ed. by Elizabeth P. Crowe. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. ISBN: 0072229780.
Directory of genealogy Web sites, newsgroups, mailing lists, and commercial services.

The Genealogy Sourcebook by Sharon D. Carmack. Los Angeles: Lowell House, 1998. ISBN: 1565657942.
Discusses various documentation methods, where and how to find records, and organization methods.

Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records by Kory L. Meyerink. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry, 1998. ISBN: 0916489701.
Focuses on secondary sources, including encyclopedias, gazetteers, indexes, abstracts, histories, biographies, military sources, and periodicals. Appendixes include CD-ROMs for family historians, major genealogical libraries in the United States, and a list of genealogical publishers and booksellers.

The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy, 3rd. ed. by Val D. Greenwood. Baltimore: Genealogical, 2000. ISBN: 0806316217.
First part provides the foundation of genealogical research; the second part covers records and their use.

Unpuzzling Your Past: A Best-Selling Basic Guide to Genealogy, 4th ed. by Emily A. Croom. Cincinnati: Betterway, 2003. ISBN: 1558705562.
Includes chapters on how to get started, the meaning of names, the difference between a family history of dates and a family history of stories, how to gather sources, who to interview, and how to fit it all together.

top

Ancestry.com Genealogy and Family History Records
www.ancestry.com
Provides many genealogy databases, worldwide resources and the Eastman Online Genealogy Newsletter. Some information available by subscription.

Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet
www.cyndislist.com
Comprehensive list of genealogy Web sites with thousands of links according to categories for easy reference. Includes such topics as “How to Begin,” “Tools for Research,” and “Publishing Your Family History.”

The Family TreeMaker Online
www.familytreemaker.com
Offers professional research services, message boards for genealogists, and searchable databases. Requires a subscription fee.

FamilySearch Internet Genealogy Service
www.familysearch.org
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints provides this site, which lets you search their “Ancestral File,” “International Genealogical Index,” “Pedigree Resource File,” and Web sites (by last name only).

The Genealogy Home Page
www.genhomepage.com
Organized into topics such as “Genealogy Help and Guides,” “Libraries,” “Maps,” “Newsgroups and Genealogy Societies.” The Genealogy Home Page also has a list of new genealogy links that is updated daily.

RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative
www.rootsweb.com
Many databases, services, and downloadable files are available only through subscription.

The U.S. Genealogy Web Project
www.usgenweb.com
Volunteers working to create a center for genealogical research for every county in the United States. All counties have an area for you to post queries and links to the state page and archives.