Illinois Bicentennial

This year we're celebrating Illinois' bicentennial. Illinois became the 21st state on December 3, 1818.

Visit Illinois 200 to see how the state is honoring its birthday, find out how to get involved, and learn about Illinois' past.

Look for upcoming Illinois 200 programs we're hosting at the library and discover more Illinois history in the Genealogy & Local History Room. We have shelves of Illinois history books dating back to the 1800s.

Weird DNA results?

Have you submitted your DNA to Ancestry, 23andMe, or another genetic genealogy site and been surprised by the results? Kristin V. Brown didn't understand the results of her aunt's DNA test so Brown decided to get her own DNA tested by three different companies. She received three different genetic heritage results.

Brown decided to investigate how DNA testing companies decide a person's genetic ancestry and she spoke with Adam Rutherford, a geneticist who explained that "we’ve got a fundamental misunderstanding of what an ancestry DNA test even does."

Read Brown's informative article here and join us in February for a further discussion of genetics and genealogy.

Family Charts

Want to get started with your family history this year? The first step is to start collecting the information you already know. You can start writing this information down in a family tree, pedigree chart, or in family group sheets.

You can create online family trees for free through Ancestry.com or MyHeritage. If you prefer paper, there are lots of free forms you can find online. Ancestry and Family Tree Magazine have a collection of printable sheets. You can also find links to more creative charts and trees at Cyndi's List or search Pinterest for downloadable forms and creative ideas.