Genealogy
Ancestry Library Edition: A free premium genealogy research tool that provides library patrons instant access to a wide range of resources for genealogical and historical research, including records from the U. S. Census; military records; court, land and probate records; vital and church records; directories; petitions for naturalization; passenger lists, and more! From Ancestry.com. ANCESTRY LIBRARY EDITION IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE FROM THE LIBRARY'S COMPUTERS.
African-American Research - Pre-Civil War, Military Records, and Post-Civil War Records, plus links to other helpful resources for African-Americans trying to trace their family history (National Archives and Records Administration). More guidance is available at African American Genealogy on the Web (Princeton Public Library), and the Afro-American Genealogical Research Guide for useful print resources (Library of Congress). See also Slave Trade Voyages, described below.
American Indian Ancestry
[Link opens a PDF document] - Printable guide to acquiring the genealogical documentation needed to establish descent from an Indian tribe for membership and enrollment purposes (U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs). See also Native American Records, which includes information about records at the National Archives, and links to many other useful resources (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration).
Census Finder - A directory of thousands of free online census records. Currently includes links to records for the US, UK, Native Americans, Canada, Norway, and Sweden -- 'an ongoing project.' NOTE: Using the 'Find your ancestors now' and 'Search 1790-1930 US Federal Census Records' search box will take you to Ancestry.com, whose records are not free. Scroll down the page for other search options.
Ellis Island American Family Immigration History Center - If any of your ancestors came to this country through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924, you can find out exactly when they arrived, and on what ship. Enter the name of the passenger in the space provided, and click on 'Search Archives.' You will need to register with your name and e-mail address (registration is free) to view the full record.
Ethnic Heritage Resources - Links to online resources specific to various ethnic groups, including African-American, Asian, British, Eastern European and Russian, Hispanic, Jewish, and Native American. (National Archives and Records Administration)
FamilySearch Internet Genealogy Service - Genealogy website for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon Church) which maintains extensive genealogy resources (not just for Mormons). Includes how-to advice.
Family Tree Charts (Printable) - Choose one of three PDF charts to fill in with your ancestors; you can add names and dates right in your browser window. Additional free charts and templates are available from the Lineages Toolkit and Library of Michigan [Link opens a PDF document].
Find a Grave - Search millions of grave records for the graves of ancestors. You can also search/browse for a cemetery, create virtual memorials, and more. (Commercial site)
Genealogy Software - Software downloads for researching and organizing your family history. Includes editors' and users' reviews. Use the menu on the left to narrow the list by operating system or device, and to limit your choices to free software, free-to-try, or software to purchase. (CNET.com, commercial site).
Genealogy How-To Guide - An excellent step-by-step guide to researching your family history, from Genealogy.com. (Commercial site)
Genealogical Vocabulary Dictionary - An extensive dictionary of genealogical and historical terms, with brief definitions for each term. NOTE: This page covers A - Algonquin Indians; to get the other pages of the dictionary, you will have to use the drop-down 'Jump to' menu at the top. (Heritage Genealogy College)
Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center - 'A national clearinghouse for persons seeking the fates of loved ones missing since the Holocaust and its aftermath. We assist U.S. residents searching for proof of internment, forced/slave labor, or evacuation from former Soviet territories on themselves or family members.' Free and confidential (American Red Cross). See also: International Tracing Service (ITS), which 'serves victims of Nazi persecutions and their families by documenting their fate through the archives it manages. The ITS preserves these historic records and makes them available for research.'
International Genealogy: The WorldGenWeb Project - A collection of genealogy websites from countries all over the world, hosted by volunteer researchers. (Non-profit organization)
Library of Congress Local History and Genealogy Reading Room - Explains what resources are available at the Library of Congress for genealogy researchers, with tips on using the collection in Washington, D.C.
Lineages: First Steps - An excellent free guide for beginners with lots of information and downloadable forms for your research, plus an online Research Room with links to a variety of helpful resources. Fees are charged for most other services.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) - Explains what genealogy resources are available through the U.S. NARA and how to obtain them. Covers census, immigration, military, and other records.
National Obituary Archive™ - A large (but not complete) searchable database of obituaries and death records from the U.S. and Canada. Most obituaries are from the past 20 years, but some older ones are included. Obituary information provided by families is contributed by member funeral directors. (Continental Computer Corporation)
NJGenWeb: New Jersey Genealogy Organizations - A list of New Jersey genealogical societies, historical societies, libraries, museums, etc., arranged by town or county. Includes links to websites, where available. For resources in other states, go to the USGenWeb States page. (Run by volunteers)
Olden Times - A miscellaneous online collection of 18th, 19th and early 20th century newspapers from the U. S., England, Scotland, Australia & Ireland; most of the newspapers date between 1788 and 1920. Includes indexes to birth, death and marriage announcements. Not a comprehensive collection. (Personal / commercial site; aggressive advertising)
RootsWeb - Guidance, name search, and extensive links for researching your family history. We recommend starting with the helpful detailed subject index to the RootsWeb research guides. (Now part of Ancestry.com, commercial site)
Ships List - Provides information on ships which brought immigrants to the United States, Canada, Australia, and other parts of the world. 'Some ships passenger lists, schedules, wreck data, and other information which is not readily available, has been collected, along with links to other sites of interest.' (Personal / commercial site; by Sue Swiggum and Marjorie Kohli)
Slave Trade Voyages - Searchable African Names Database, which identifies over 67,000 Africans aboard slave ships, using name, age, gender, origin, and place of embarkation, plus a searchable database of documented slaving voyages; you can create listings, tables, charts, and maps using information from the voyages database. Also includes a variety of related resources. (Emory University et al.)
Social Security Death Master File - The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains a Master File of millions of deaths that were reported to SSA. The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) offers a paid subscription service for online searches of the Death Master File through their website. 'Please note that other parties have purchased SSA's Death Master File Extract through NTIS and then posted it on their own different web sites. Although these private parties call / refer to their own web sites as SSA's death index or SSA's Death Master File, these are not endorsed by SSA, nor can SSA confirm that these private web sites are kept up-to-date or accurate with SSA's death data in any way.' Rootsweb is one such private party which offers a searchable 'Social Security Death Index' database.
Veterans' Gravesite Locator - 'Search for burial locations of veterans and their dependents in VA National Cemeteries, state veterans cemeteries and various other Department of Interior and military cemeteries.'
Virtual Wall - A website commemorating Americans who lost their lives in the Vietnam War or remain missing in action. Enter a name to search for photo, text and audio remembrances posted by families, friends and veterans.
VitalChek - Online order site for vital records such as birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates. There is a service fee, which must be charged to a major credit card, to order records from VitalChek (LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.; commercial site).
Replace Your Vital Documents is a U.S. government site offering information on other ways to obtain copies of birth, marriage, & death certificates, immigration papers, military service records, tax returns, and more. See also
Vital Records: Documents Issued in the U.S..
The USGenWeb Project - Offers free transcriptions of public domain records, including census records, marriage bonds, wills, and other public documents. Links to the National Archives Search Engine or to the State Archives Search Engine.
