|
|
Genealogy Resources on the Web
Return to the Pathfinder Menu
Genealogy and the Internet
Genealogy or family history research is one of the most popular hobbies in the world. At one time, to research your family, you needed to visit the places where your ancestors lived and conduct research at the local libraries, historical societies, and courthouses to find the information you needed.
With the advent of the computer and development of the Internet, genealogical research has gotten a little easier. Today there are hundreds of thousands of Web pages devoted to genealogy.
But keep one fact in mind: you will not find your complete family history using only online resources. The Internet is only a tool to assist you in finding the actual documentation that you need to document your family history.
Doing the Groundwork
As with any genealogy research, it is important to lay the groundwork. Using pedigree charts and family group sheets, begin to compile what you know about your family, beginning with yourself.
Visit local libraries, historical societies, and archives to find information about your family. If your family settled close to where you live, it might be easy for you to fill in those blanks but, remember, many libraries, historical societies, and archives collect materials from places where settlers came from originally.
Discover your local Family History Center provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). As part of its religious beliefs, the LDS church and its members have microfilmed and archived a large number of vital records from all over the world. Many of these materials are available at a local Family History Center or can be ordered from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City for you to use at the Center.
What is the Internet?
The Internet is a series of interconnected networks that include local area, regional, and national backbone networks that link your computer to the World Wide Web and more.
How the Internet Enhances Genealogical Research
The Internet provides three services to the family history researcher:
Access to indexes and compilation notes in reference materials.
Access to scanned images or actual full-text of sources.
Assists in identifying and communicating with other genealogy researchers, including family members.
What the Internet Cannot Do
The Internet cannot provide the following to researchers:
Establish direct communications with those not using the Internet.
Guarantee that information is available for every family name.
Guarantee the accuracy of information found on the Internet.
Provide original documents needed to document genealogical research.
Terminology You Should Know
Browser -- an Internet client for viewing the World Wide Web (examples include Microsoft Explorer and Netscape Navigator).
Chat -- when people type messages to each other across a host or network, live and in real time
Database -- a set of information organized for computer storage, search, retrieval, and insertion.
Download -- to copy information, such as files, e-mail, and programs from a remote computer to your own computer.
Electronic Mail -- an electronic message, text, or data sent from one person to another. Also known as e-mail.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) -- allows an Internet user to transfer files electronically from remote computers back to the user's computer.
Flame -- a message or series of messages containing an argument or insults.
GEDCOM -- the standard for genealogical electronic data communications. This is the method for sharing your family history research with family and friends.
HTML -- hypertext markup language. This is the language used to turn text documents into a WWW-browsable language.
ISP -- Internet service provider is a company that has a continuous, fast, and reliable connection to the Internet and sells subscriptions to the public (examples are America Online, MSN)
IP Address -- the alpha or numeric address of the computer connected to the Internet.
List -- an electronically transmitted discussion of technical and non-technical issues that come to you as e-mail and are sent via LISTSERV commands.
Lurk -- to read a list without posting messages yourself.
OPAC -- a term used to describe any type of computerized library catalog (online public access catalog).
Search engine -- a program on the WWW that searches parts of the Internet for text (Yahoo, Google, AltaVista).
Server -- a computer that allows other computers to log on and use its resources.
Spider -- a program that gathers information on Web pages for a database, usually used by a search engine.
Thread -- a discussion made up of a set of messages in answer to a certain message and to each other.
World Wide Web (WWW or the Web) -- a system to pull various Internet services together into one interface called a browser.
Genealogical Resources Available at Morton Grove Public Library
HeritageQuest Online
HeritageQuest Online currently provides over 25,000 family and local history books that can be read online, downloaded or copied to your computer. These are digitized from microfilm and new materials are being added each week. These books are searchable by every word in the title, author or text.
The U.S. Federal Census Records are available in digitized form. Census records are being added with a completion date of year end 2002 for all images through 1930 and complete indexes of the census completed by 2003. Currently researchers can search the following census years: 1790, 1800, 1810 and 1870. Census images with locality browsing are currently available for the following years: 1790-1840, 1870 and 1910.
PERSI is the Periodical Source Index, a subject index of genealogical and local history periodicals written in English and French (Canada) since 1800.
The Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Grant Application Files is a collection of over 80,000 individuals who fought during the Revolutionary War and each veteran's file usually contains at least six pages including the veteran's former rank, unit, and period of service, age or date of birth, residence, and occasionally additional information on family members.
After the census project is completed, the goal is to add the following to the database:
ProQuest Newspaper Obituaries containing full-text entries from over 150 newspapers from across the United States
Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files
Freedman's Bank Records that document over 70,000 freed slaves bank depositors and their nearly 480,000 dependants and heirs.
To access HeritageQuest Online:
Go to the Morton Grove Public Library homepage at www.webrary.org.
- Click on Reference.
- Click on Library Databases.
- Click on General Magazine Indexes.
- Click on Heritage Quest.
- Fill out the access form and click send.
Other Tools Available at Morton Grove Public Library
Go to the Morton Grove Public Library homepage at www.webrary.org.
- Click on Reference.
- Click on Webrary Links.
- Click on 900-999.
- Click on 920 for genealogy related websites.
Go to the Morton Grove Public Library homepage at www.webrary.org.
- Click on Reader's Corner.
- Click on Bibliographies and Pathfinders.
- Click on Genealogy.
Basic instructions on beginning genealogy research.
Starting Out Using the Internet
Try using one of the genealogical tutorials that are available:
Genealogy Reference and Documentation Tools
Social Security Death Index
This database is provided by the Social Security Administration and is usually about two months behind the current month with data.
The database currently contains over 68,968,597 records.
The database can be accessed at the following websites:
Vital Records Information
This database provides links to all states and territories of the United States and to many international countries for ordering vital records of your ancestors.
FamilySearch
This site is provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as part of their religious obligation to unite their members with their ancestors. Included at this site are the following:
- Ancestral File -- a collection of genealogical information submitted to the library since 1978. Information in this database needs to be verified.
- International Genealogical Index -- a collection of birth and marriage records extracted from civil and church records by the LDS church.
- Family History Library Catalog.
American Family Immigration History Center
This site contains arrival records based on original passenger manifests of those immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island from 1892 to 1924.
Castle Garden: America's First Immigration Center
This site contains information on 10 million immigrants from 1830 through 1892, when Ellis Island opened.
RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative
The oldest and most comprehensive genealogy site on the World Wide Web.
It is browsable by project or topic area.
RootsWeb provides a central meeting and communications center for genealogical researchers.
It currently hosts volunteer genealogy projects, such as the Census Project and over 19,000 mailing lists.
USGenWeb Project
Hosted and sponsored by RootsWeb.
This is an organization of volunteers who have scanned and transcribed hundreds of census records, local vital records, newspaper accounts, gravestone inscriptions, and much more.
Ancestry, Inc.
A commercial entity that offers three different websites.
Ancestry.com which is a large online library that includes records such as census, land, birth, marriage and death which are searchable.
FamilyHistory.com is a genealogy community with message boards and GEDCOM databases.
MyFamily.com is a portal that allows you to develop your own family history website.
Cyndi's Genealogy Homepage
A comprehensive list of genealogical website links. There are more than 165,900 links in more than 150 categories.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
This site contains information on the kinds of records held by the US government, explains what information is contained in those records, and how to order copies of the records.
Explore Discussion Lists
Electronic mail, or email, brings a new method of resource sharing to the world of genealogy. Discussion groups, sometimes referred to as a "list" or a "mailing list" are popping up in cyberspace. And, best of all, there is a group for everyone. RootsWeb hosts many of them. There are lists for researchers researching specific surnames, specific localities, specific ethnic groups, occupations, and many more.
There is a down side to the groups, however. They are limited to those who have an e-mail account through an employer, school, or an Internet Service Provider. In her Web site, Mailing Lists, Cyndi Howell has created a database of mailing groups, newsgroups, and Discussion Groups. If you are new to the world of electronic genealogy, start exploring ways to communicate with others who share surnames, common ethnic backgrounds, or just the pleasure of discovering a new resource.
If you decide to subscribe, follow the instructions exactly as they are written. Once you've subscribed, get ready for mail! Many lists offer the alternative of a "digest" form, which is a good way to begin with an electronic discussion group. If you choose this option, your messages come to you in large batches instead of individual messages.
Most genealogy lists are busy, and you'll see all levels of interest, from experienced researchers and educators to novices who are just beginning.
Networking with Others
Search using a surname in any general search engine (Google, Yahoo, AltaVista) or search a surname in one of the Surname Databases in websites such as Cyndi's List, RootsWeb, or Ancestry.
Rules to Using Discussion Lists
Lurk.
Read messages and get a feel for the community you are interested in and how questions are answered.
Answer Carefully.
Be brief and to the point.
Don't ask questions that can be easily found at your local library or by using a search engine on the Internet.
Resist the temptation to "flame" others on the list. Treat others, as you would like to be treated.
Be professional and careful in your messages. Remember that e-mail is not private; it can be forwarded to others easily.
Be careful when using humor or sarcasm. The reader may be offended.
NEVER forward chain letters or send out mass e-mailings (SPAM).
Posting to a Discussion List.
When posting to a discussion list using e-mail use the following suggestions:
Type your surnames in all capital letters in the subject section of the e-mail.
Queries should include answers to these questions:
- Who is the person you are looking for?
- Where did that person reside or immigrate?
- When did that person live or reside in a place?
- What are you looking for about that person?
- How can you be contacted with any answers to the above questions?
Keep your query concise, yet add some concrete information.
Libraries with Genealogical Collections
Library of Congress
www.loc.gov
- The Genealogy Page provides resource tools, additional genealogy links, and a daily chat room with the librarians of the Genealogy & Local History Room. www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy
- American Memory is the archive of historical documents of all sorts and media. memory.loc.gov
Daughters of the American Revolution Library
www.dar.org/library/default.cfm
Allen County Public Library
www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/
- Allen County Public Library in Indiana is the second largest genealogical research library in the United States.
Newberry Library
www.newberry.org
- Located in Chicago, the Newberry Library is the third largest genealogical library in the United States with an emphasis on New England and Native American genealogy.
State Libraries
- Each state has a state library that has invaluable resources pertaining to that state, including digitized genealogical documents, state census records, collection information; the state library can be a source for ordering archival documents.
Archives
Archival and Manuscript Repositories in the United States
www.uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html
State Archives
www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ussearch.htm
Illinois Secretary of State Office
www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/services.html
Historical & Genealogical Societies
Historical and Genealogical Societies can be useful places to research your family. Local societies are:
North Suburban Genealogical Society
www.wpld.alibrary.com/nsgs.htm
Chicago Genealogical Society
www.chicagogenealogy.org
The following link will assist you in locating the society that will meet your needs.
Federation of Genealogical Societies
www.fgs.org
International & Ethnic Research
WorldGenWeb Project
worldgenweb.org
Cyndi's List
www.cyndislist.com
LDS Church FamilySearch
www.familysearch.org
JewishGen Databases
www.jewishgen.org
- Brings together a worldwide perspective to Jewish genealogical research. It is well organized, efficient, and always expanding with its collection of search engines, databases, indexes and family finder.
Native American Documents Project
www.csusm.edu/nadp/napd.htm
NativeWeb
www.nativeweb.org
Eastern Europe
feefhs.org- The Federation of East European Family History Societies Web site is an immense storehouse of information. It is a little hard on the eyes, but most valuable for Croatian, Russian, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, and Swiss researchers.
Germany
home.att.net- A tutorial for German American genealogists is available on this site that features an index to passenger lists of boats bound for America from German ports, German search engines, and many other useful links.
Palatines to America
palam.org- This group researches European migrations from the Germanic regions of Europe, with a special emphasis on Palatinate region of Germany. Their Web site is an excellent resource that includes an On-line Immigrant Ancestor Register of over 800 entries; links to German genealogical resources online and in print, and a calender of events.
Luxembourg on my Mind
hometown.aol.com/VailCorp/lux.html - Great source of information for Luxembourgers, descendants of Luxembourg emigrants to the United States, and anyone who desires to establish contacts with people in Luxembourg.
The National Archives of Ireland
www.nationalarchives.ie/index.html - Although this does not provide access to the materials in the archives, it is an excellent starting point for anyone whose family migrated from Ireland. They are hoping to offer online searching of the records and documents produced by the first ordnance survey of Ireland in the 19th century.
Irish Ancestors
http://www.ireland.com/ancestor/- Place names of cities, regions, or counties are the source of many researchers' headaches. This site gives U.S. researchers clues as to where information can be found. It also includes the full 1851 Townlands Index and a database of surname information.
Holland Page
www.users.bigpond.com/paulvanv/homepage.htm - Not just a Web site about Dutch genealogy, but a very complete picture of the Dutch culture. There is a Dutch surname list, plenty of resource material for those in the U.S. who are researching Dutch ancestors, and links to some of the passenger lists.
Slovak and Carpatho-Rusyn Genealogy Research Pages
www.iarelative.com/slovakia.htm - The area now known as Slovakia has a rich genealogical storehouse in this Web site. This Web site contains many personal pages, information on surnames, family histories, emigrations, parish registers, and links to Slovakian resources.
Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center
www.augustana.edu/swenson/ - Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois is home to the Swenson Center whose libraries and archives contain information about the Swedish migration, settlement histories, genealogy and family histories.
Ukrainian Genealogy
www.infoukes.com/genealogy/ - This Web site prides itself on being totally commercial free - it will not accept a link to another site if there is any charge involved. There are useful links to surnames, history, popular culture, costume, and religion.
Public Record Office
www.pro.gov.uk/- The Public Record Office is repository of the national archives of England, Wales, and the United Kingdom. There is plenty of information about censuses, official records, maps, archives, and publications of the PRO. A good Web site to visit before embarking on a transatlantic genealogy search.
UK+ Ireland Genealogy
www.genuki.org.uk/big/- Anyone whose family originated in England, Scotland, Ireland, or Wales will find some excellent resources here. A wonderful site with links to county genealogical societies, libraries, church records, the Public Record Office, and archives of countries, cities, and counties.
Canadian Genealogy & History
www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/cghl.html- Links to resources for each of the provinces, as well as general archives, military information, organizations and societies.
National Archives of Canada - Archives nationales du Canada
www.archives.ca/www/Genealogy.html - The National Archives of Canada has a beautiful site that will acquaint you with many Canadian resources.
Archives of Ontario
www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/index.html - This Web site has links to records of vital statistics in Ontario and to the history of the province.
OCFA - The Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid
www.islandnet.com/ocfa/ - If you have ancestors who died and were buried in Ontario, take a look at this Web site with a search feature that allows you to (hopefully) find the cemetery location of your deceased ancestor.
1871 Census of Canada
- Canada's census comes every ten years, in the year ending in 1. This 1871 census of Ontario is searched by family name for heads of household. It is fairly speedy, and demonstrates what we might be seeing in the future: census information at your fingertips.
SHHAR-Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research
members.aol.com/shhar- Hispanic genealogists are fortunate to have this Web site with links to Mexico's major archive, a database with surnames and locations, and links to other Hispanic resources.
Military sources
U.S. Civil War Center -- Researching People of the Civil War Era
www.cwc.lsu.edu/cwc/other/genealogy/faq-gene.htm- If your family was living in the United States between 1861 and 1865, chances are that one of your ancestors fought in the Civil War. Researching that ancestor can be educating, challenging, and a bit frustrating, but the USCWC does a good job of explaining the process.
VA/NCS Home Page
www.va.gov/cemetery/index.htm- The National Cemetery System, which is part of the Department of Veterans Affairs, has a Web site full of information about burial in national cemeteries. They also provide a limited search service for anyone who is searching for a particular grave in one of the VA administered cemeteries.
Vietnam-Era POW/MIA Database
lcweb2.loc.gov/pow/powhome.html- The Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress maintains this searchable database of documents used to assist anyone researching a service member who was reported missing, imprisoned, or killed in southeast Asia during or after American involvement in the Vietnam conflict.
|
|
| |
|
Other Helpful Websites
Bureau of Land Management
www.glorecords.blm.gov
Land Record Reference
www.directlinesoftware.com/landref.htm
Using Maps in Genealogy
mac.usgs.gov/mac/isb/pubs/factsheets/fs14099.html
Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
blog.eogn.com/
Family Tree Magazine Newsletter
www.familytreemagazine.com/newsletter.asp
Commercial Sites
These are websites that charge an annual fee to access the databases compiled by these companies.
Family Tree Maker
www.familytreemaker.com
Provides submitted information from other family history researchers, a library, and message boards.
Heritage Quest
www.heritagequest.com
Ancestry, Inc.
www.ancestry.com
Virtual Phone Books
Finally, genealogy research always begins in the present. Start with yourself and move back, generation by generation. Document your sources, and keep following those paths that you'll find throughout your genealogical journeys. A good start in the present is to find long lost relatives, old friends, and those with surnames in common by using some of these exciting tools:
Infospace
www.infospace.com/
They call themselves "the most comprehensive directory on the Internet," and to earn the title, they include residential and business phone listings, toll-free numbers, blue pages for state and federal government listings, and a fax directory - all for both the U.S. and Canada.
Switchboard
www.switchboard.com/
A free, fast, nationwide residential and business directory. Note that each return delivers only the first listings: click on "Next Page" for more.
BigBooks.com
www.bigbook.com
Not just another version of the Yellow Pages, this directory shows you where a business is located on a local map, and links you directly to its home page. Cemeteries often can be located using this resource.
Cautions and Concerns
Be cautious of the source.
Remember, anyone can put information on the WWW.
Do not accept information until you have verified its accuracy.
Make sure not to include vital dates for living people when posting your data on the WWW.
If you post your research, choose a site that will not turn around and sell your information for profit.
Consider RootsWeb's WorldConnect project (a free site) rather than Family Tree Maker (a commercial site).
Bibliography
Clifford, Karen. The Complete Beginner's Guide to Genealogy, the Internet, and Your Genealogy Computer Program. 2001. 929.1 CLI
Crowe, Elizabeth Powell. Genealogy Online. 2001. 929.1 CRO
Crume, Rick. Plugging Into Your Past: How to Find Real Family History Records Online. 2004. 929.1 CRU
The Family Tree Guide Book to Europe: Your Passport to Tracing Your Genealogy Across Europe. 2003. 929.1 FAM
Helm, Matthew. Genealogy Online for Dummies.2004. 929.1 HEL
Hendrickson, Nancy. Finding Your Roots Online.2003. 929.1 HEN
Howells, Cyndi. Cyndi's List: A Comprehensive List of 70,000 Genealogy Sites on the Internet. 2001. 929.1 HOW
Howells, Cyndi. Netting Your Ancestors: Genealogical Research on the Internet. 1997. 929.1 HOW
Howells, Cyndi. Planting Your Family Tree Online: How to Create Your Own Family History Web Site.2003. 929.1 HOW
Kemp, Thomas Jay. Virtual Roots 2.0: A Guide to Genealogy and Local History on the World Wide Web. 2003. 929.1 KEM
Kovacs, Diane. Genealogical Research on the Web. 2002 . 929.1 KOV
Richley, Pat. The Everything Online Genealogy Book : Use the Web to Discover Long-lost Relations, Trace Your Family Tree Back to Royalty, and Share Your History with Far-flung Cousins. 2000. 929.1 RIC
Compiled by
Colleen Ringel
Reference Department
Morton Grove Public Library
10/02. Updated 5/2004. Updated 12/2004.
|
|
