The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy

The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy by Val D. Greenwood is a classic genealogy text. First published in 1973, you'll still find The Researcher's Guide being used as a textbook in many genealogy courses.

Published in 2000, the third edition can feel old-fashioned. The sections on correspondence and computers are especially outdated. But chapters on evidence and standards of proof provide excellent introductions to these topics for the casual researcher. Greenwood also offers timeless information on genealogy subjects such as records, in-person research, terminology, and organization.

An essential text for the genealogist wishing to become a more serious researcher.

How I Use DNA in My Genealogy Research

The Glenview Public Library is hosting a program with the North Suburban Genealogical Society this Saturday at 1 PM.

How I Use DNA in My Genealogy Research with Caron Primas Brennan
Genealogist Caron Primas Brennan will talk about the “why” and “how” of DNA testing in genealogy research. Using case studies and examples, she explains how she incorporated DNA testing into her research.

Register for the program online or call the Reference Desk at 847-729-7500.

Researching Your Ancestors' Occupation

Knowing your ancestors' occupation gives context to their life stories and can tell you a little bit

about how they lived. Fortunately, there are plenty of records to help you identify how your ancestors made a living.

Census Records
In 1850, the US Census began recording occupations. More recent censuses ask more detailed questions about a person's employer. Also, check the non-population schedules. Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Industry schedules give more details about a person's occupation. The Agriculture schedules for instance ask about acreage, livestock and crops grown on a farm. You'll see exactly what your ancestor farmed and how it compared to other farms in the neighborhood.

City Directories
City and county directories list residents with their addresses and occupations. You may discover their work address here too and possibly find an advertisement for their business.

Newspapers
News stories, obituaries, and even wedding announcements may include information on a person's occupation. Farmers' auctions and business news can give you further details about your ancestor's living. Search the local advertisement sections for business ads.

Tax Assessments Lists
IRS Assessment lists include information about occupation and income. They also list other luxuries your ancestor may have owned.

Military Records
Draft registrations asked for a person's employer. Pension records include information about a serviceman's military career and, occasionally, their post-military work and income.

Immigration Records
Passenger lists, emigration records, and passport applications may also note a person's occupation.

For Labor Day, Ancestry's occupation records are free to search through Monday!

Skokie History

In addition to our Glenview history collection, we have a large selection of local histories for communities throughout Illinois. If you're researching local families or the history of the north suburbs, we have many items that can help you out.

One item particular to our library is A Tour of Old Niles Centre compiled by the Skokie Historical Society. The village of Skokie was incorporated in 1888 as Niles Centre. The village voted to change the name to Skokie in 1940.

This pamphlet guides you on a walking tour of historic Skokie sites. What did the corner of Lincoln and Oakton look like in 1834? Who were the early settlers of Niles Centre and where did they live? The Skokie Historical Society explains the history of the village and describes its historic sites and events. It's a fun little tour of north suburban local history.

You can find other items on Skokie history here.

European Genealogy Class

Join us this Thursday at 2 PM for class on European genealogy. We'll cover the process for researching ancestors in Europe and how to track down European sources.

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

Italian Records

The most important part of researching Italian ancestors is finding their place of origin. Until Italy unified in 1861, each region, city-state, and duchy had its own method for record-keeping. Luckily for Italian genealogists, most families traditionally stayed in the same area of Italy for generations so you may only need to become familiar with one region's records.

After discovering the town of origin, the major records you'll be searching for include:

Civil Registration Records 
These are records of births, marriages, and deaths. When Napoleon conquered large parts of Italy in 1804, he established civil record-keeping. Napoleonic Era records are kept it each state's archive. After the fall of Napoleon in 1815, most regions stopped civil registrations but some communities continued the registers. From 1815-1865, the creation and location of these civil records will vary from town-to-town. State record-keeping began again in 1866 and these records can be found in the registrar's office of your ancestor's hometown.

Church Records
In the early 1500s, the Catholic Church began requiring their clergy to keep records of baptisms, marriages, and burials. Some parishes may have begun documenting these rituals centuries before.
Unfortunately, Church records may not always contain a lot of information.

Census Records
The first Italian census was taken in 1871. Censuses are taken every ten years. From 1871-1901, census information varied from region to region. Most of these records, only list the head of the household. In 1911, censuses began documenting detailed information for every member of the household.  Census records are held at the state archives of each province.

Family Status Certificates
These are unique Italian records of family groups that can include information on at least three generations of family members. Certificates list every individual in the household as well as all parents' names, maiden names, and residences of family members who have left the community. They are held in the registrar's office of the family's town of residence. Availability of certificates vary from region to region.

The Death of Robert Kennicott

Here's a fascinating article from the Chicago Tribune about Glenview's own Robert Kennicott. Smithsonian scientists believe that they have solved the mystery of Kennicott's death in Alaska! The article also discusses Robert Kennicott's many contributions to the Smithsonian.

For more information about Robert Kennicott's adventurous life and death, read A Death Decoded about his final expedition to Alaska. You can also peruse Kennicott's letters and correspondence in the Kennicott family papers on microfilm.

Irish Research at NEHGS

Search for your Irish ancestors for free at the New England Historic Genealogical Society!

When you create a free account with at NEHGS, you will have access to their Irish records.You can also find ebooks and research guides on Irish genealogy.

Find Your Female Ancestors

Tracing female ancestors can be challenging. On Tuesday, July 19 at 10 AM, we'll be having a class about which records will help you find those elusive maiden names.

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

Genealogy Research Day

Have you hit a brick wall in your research or do you need help getting started with genealogy? Are looking to spend a Saturday sharing your successes with other genealogy enthusiasts? Join us on Saturday July 16 for our Genealogy Research Day. Drop in at the Technology Lab or the Genealogy & Local History Room any time between 1-4 PM to get individualized help and to utilize our resources.