Glenview Street Names

Do you know who the Dewes, Rugens, or Linnemans were? What streets in Glenview used to be Potawatomi trails?

Glenview History Center librarian, Beverly Dawson, discusses the history of Glenview's street names with the Glenview Journal.

Beginning Genealogy

Want to start researching your genealogy but don't know where to get started? Come to our Beginning Genealogy class on March 24 at 10 am. Register online or call the Reference Desk at 847-729-7500 x7700.

Irish Genealogy Resources

Here are some resources to help you find your Irish roots this St. Patrick's Day.

Irish Genealogy Websites:

National Archives of Ireland
Digitized archives include: census records, tithe applotment books (essential for pre-famine research), and soldier's wills.

Irish Genealogy
Sponsored by Ireland's Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, this site contains searchable census, church, and civil registration records particularly for Dublin, and Carlow, Cork, and Kerry counties.

Roots Chat
Irish resources and a help forum for research questions.

From Ireland
A compilation of free Irish resources available online.

Ancestor Search from Irish Times
A history of Irish surnames with interactive maps and resources.

Roots Ireland 
Database of the Irish Family History Foundation. A great resource but you must be a member to search their records.

For more websites, visit the FamilySearch Wiki page for Ireland Genealogy Websites.

Irish Genealogy Resources at GPL:

Erin's Sons: Irish Arrivals in Atlantic Canada

A four volume set based on newspaper notices, regimental records, and petitions for land grants. Includes maps of the areas of peak migration, surnames, and an index of ships.

The Dictionary of Irish Family Names
Includes name etymology, related forms, origins, and geographical distribution.

Irish Genealogy: A Record Finder
Learn where to find census returns, wills, directories, land and law records, and much more.

Tracing Your Irish Ancestors
Perfect for beginners. Describes the basics of research and procedures for finding information.

Find more resources in our catalog.

Irish Resources in our databases:
Use Ancestry Library Edition in the library to access Irish Catholic registers; birth, marriage, and death records; Griffith's valuation; and more.

Important Tip from Genealogy Tip of the Day

Genealogy Tip of the Day: Do You Work Without Maps?: When you get all "into" researching a person or family in an area that is unfamiliar to you, do you stop and take the time to find maps of the areas where the people of interest live? It is important to know county, state, and other boundaries and the relative proximity of the places where you think people live. It's even more imperative in a "new" area where the geography may be unknown to you.

Don't assume you "know" the geography "good enough" or that the states are small enough that it doesn't matter. Look at maps. Analyze locations. Determine how far apart different residences for your ancestor are.

Don't get so caught up in the search that you lose sight of the geography in the process.

Follow Genealogy Tip of the Day for more great tips!

Glenview History Center Tea & Luncheon

The Glenview History Center is hosting a Downton Abbey Tea and Luncheon next week!

For more information visit their website. 

Irish American Heritage Center

The library at the Irish American Heritage Center will be open from 1-7 pm on Saturday, March 14 for Saint Patrick's Day. Take advantage the library's collection of Irish genealogy resources and volunteer genealogists. Also, enjoy Irish music, dance, crafts, and food at their Saint Patrick's Day Celebration!

Updates to HeritageQuest

HeritageQuest just released a new user interface and added content. They've added lots of great research aids and made their census map collection easier to find.

HeritageQuest's census collection has been expanded with complete, indexed census records for each US Federal Census 1790-1940 and they've added all of the supplemental (veterans, slave, etc.) censuses too. It's also much easier to search these collections. Search options are now similar to Ancestry's.

HeritageQuest also has searchable Freedman's Bank records, Revolutionary War pensions, family and local histories, city directories, various federal government documents, and PERSI--an index of names and articles from hundreds of genealogy periodicals.

Best of all, HeritageQuest is available from home with your library card!