Discover FamilySearch.org

Next week we have a class on FamilySearch.org. Learn how to use this amazing free database and discover all of FamilySearch's online resources on November 8 at 10 am. 

Register here or call the Reference Desk at 847-729-7500.

101 Best Websites 2013

Each year Family Tree Magazine publishes a list of 101 best genealogy websites. You can view the full list of websites on the Family Tree Magazine website.

I went through their list and found a few of my favorites sites for Midwest genealogy:

Cook County Genealogy
The best place to find birth, marriage, and death certificates for Cook County.

Illinois State Archives
This site includes some digitized maps and vital record databases but it also tells you exactly which depository to visit to find the genealogical records you're searching for.

Newberry Library
Is there anything better than the Newberry?

My Genealogy Hound
This new, free website by Hearthstone Legacy Publications lets you search through thousands of biographies extracted from old county histories. Most of the histories and maps currently available on the site focus on the Midwest.

Minnesota Historical Society
Includes databases for vital records, cemetery indexes, and state censuses. They also have a great collection of local histories and photographs.

Ohio Historical Society
Military records, vital records, school records, so many records of genealogical interest can be found on this site.

Wisconsin Historical Society
This site hosts a great collection of databases and biographical sketches.

Become a Citizen Archivist!

The National Archives has created a new crowd-sourcing project to make more of their records searchable online.

Volunteers are asked to contribute to document transcriptions by becoming a Citizen Archivist. You can browse the site to see what types of documents the NARA wants to transcribe.

It's a great project and as more documents get transcribed, the easier our research becomes!

Allen County Public Library Classes

October might be a good time for a quick trip to Indiana! In honor of Family History Month, Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, IN is hosting a variety of genealogy classes each day this month. You can find the full schedule here. Call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.info to register.

The Government Shutdown and Your Genealogy

While trying to do some research tonight, we've discovered that portions of the Library of Congress website and its digital collections are not accessible during the government shutdown. The National Archives website is still mostly accessible but the homepage has been changed and they've hidden most of their search features. Here's the direct link to the main search page. The page looks a little different but everything still works.

Also, the Great Lakes Regional Archive will be closed until the shutdown is resolved.

Digging Deeper with Ancestry

We still have space available for our Digging Deeper with Ancestry class on October 8 at 2pm. Discover all of the collections within Ancestry. Learn about different records and how to use them in your research.

You can register online here or register with the Reference Desk at 847-729-7500.