Getting Started in Genealogy

Researching one's ancestors -- discovering the many events in their lives and exploring who they really were through books and documents -- can be one of the most rewarding and most educational experiences of a lifetime.

We have crafted two online tutorials to help you get started. Pick either one--or both--and get started today exploring your family history. Simply click on a link below.

The Mystery of Your Family History

How to Start Researching Your Family Tree

Beginning one's genealogical research is as simple as starting to gather and record all the information and family data you have available to you in your home and among your various relatives. This is the best way to begin. This data can be recorded on five-generation charts available in the Genealogy Center, or simply written on notebook paper. Being as thorough and complete as possible at this initial data collection stage will posture you for success as you continue your endeavors.

Once you have gathered your initial data, begin to organize it in a chronological fashion. (That's one reason why using five-generation charts is so helpful!) Now you're ready to explore the tomes of local and family history data you will find all over the world.

The Historical Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library has a tremendous collection of materials for the genealogical researcher. Many libraries also own a number of "how-to-do-genealogy" books which you can borrow and study in the comfort of your own home. Check the online catalog of the library closest to you for exact titles and availability.

Genealogical research is truly an adventure of a lifetime. Use this internet page as a spring board to other information sources on getting started and for links to other sites that are helpful for both the novice and more experienced family historian.

...a SUPER web site to visit...

LINKPENDIUM A directory of nearly two million genealogical resources.


...good web sites to explore...

Cyndi's List This site has a well organized collection of links for genealogists, with more than 240,000 links organized by subject.

Treasure Maps This is a very fine homepage -- explaining the value of family history, providing a "research room" for getting started, exploring genealogical collections, and assisting with little known & hard to find sources.

ROOTS-L Home Page ROOTS-L is a listserv mailing list for those interested in genealogy. This homepage provides information on how to subscribe to the listserv, links to other major genealogical homepages, links to text file libraries, lists of locations of special interest to individual researchers, and much, much more.


...a must visit web site for more experienced family historians...

WeRelate This is a free community-based web site (using Wiki-principles) designed for sharing your family tree, collaborating with your cousins on your research, and learning more about your genealogy interests from informed contributors. The Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library has partnered with The Foundation for On-Line Genealogy to provide this free service.


...more neat sites...

• Ancestry's Homepage. This site provides one with access to Ancestry's free data files including the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) and the World Tree. Researchers can also access Society Hall -- a site where one can connect with other genealogical societies.
  
• FamilySearch. This site is hosted by the LDS' Family History Library. It contains many hundreds of millions of names. Some of the major databases on this site include Ancestral File, The International Genealogical Index, the Family History Library catalog, and the Pedigree Resource Files as well as numerous research guides.
• The FamilyTreeMaker Homepage. This site provides one with access to Broderbund's free data files including a version of the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) and their FamilyFinder Index.
  
• Everton Publisher's Genealogy Page. This site provides the researcher with a list of genealogical archives and libraries, U. S. & international resources for genealogists, software archives, and catalogs of Everton products and services and links to those sites.
  
• Genealogy Home Page. This site introduces the genealogist to a variety of information sources available on the Internet and provides links to many useful sites.
  
• RootsWeb.com. The oldest and largest genealogy site on the Internet.
  
• Yahoo Genealogy Collection of Sites. Yahoo is one of the largest collections of Internet sites. One will find a decent list of links to major genealogical sites on this page.