Genealogy 101

Introduction to getting family history research started.

If you made a New Year’s Resolution to finally get started on researching your family history, but aren’t sure how to go about doing so, this video is for you! RELIC staff have put together a video summary of our popular “Genealogy 101” presentation, with advice on how to go about beginning building your family tree, and specific tools and strategies to do so.

Click here to watch on YouTube.

USEFUL WEBSITES

A list of websites to help you with your genealogical research. Although not all websites provided below are accessible through Prince William Public Libraries (PWPL) Digital Library, they have been researched and vetted by RELIC staff and determined to be helpful.

ANCESTRY LIBRARY EDITION (International Version): Usually only available at our libraries, Ancestry Library Edition is currently available from home with a Prince William Public Libraries library card until March 31, 2021 through the Digital Library, www.pwcgov.org/digitallibrary.

BEGINNERS FIRST STEPS: Wiki article from FamilySearch with links to information and suggested questions for interviews, etc. 

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT: General land office records. To search for land patents, start by selecting the state and at least one additional field.

CHARTS/FORMS: Print Ancestry, Pedigree, Family Group Records, Research Logs, Blank Census Forms, etc. 

CITE YOUR SOURCES (Footnote Styles): Learn how to cite your sources. 

COUSIN RELATOR CALCULATOR: Use this tool to determine the family relationship between two people.

CYNDI’S LIST: A comprehensive, categorized, and cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online. 

DIGITAL PRESERVATION: A personal archiving site to preserve your digital memories; provides advice from the Library of Congress.  

DOCUMENT AS YOU GO: Helpful wiki article that provides detailed information on how to search and document your findings.   

FAMILY SEARCH: Website of the LDS (Mormon) Church; free access to millions of digital records from all over the world; helpful wiki research guides; access to records requires that you register for a free account. Use Chrome to access. RELIC is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library, which allows for the viewing of most of the “restricted” digital records. Click SEARCH Icon to search or browse records; Click on catalog and add place—county, state, county for US.

FIND A GRAVE: Volunteer effort to index burials in cemeteries worldwide (most entries are for United States). Search for individuals and/or cemeteries. Some entries have photos of graves and additional information added by family members including photos, obituaries, etc.

GENEALOGY SOFTWARE COMPARISON CHART: This site helps you determine the best software program to use for your research.   

HERITAGEQUEST ONLINE: Research database includes U.S. Federal Census 1790-1940, City Directories, Revolutionary War Pension Records and much more. Use for free in any Prince William Public Library and/or use from home for free with your current PWPL library card. MUST access through the PWPL Digital Library, www.pwcgov.org/digitallibrary.

INTERLIBRARY LOAN: For those with a valid current PWPL library card, go to www.pwcgov.org/library and click on RESEARCH tab on left side of homepage, then click on Interlibrary Loan. This allows you to borrow materials and obtain photocopies of articles from other libraries for $3.00 per every ILL request filled.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS – CHRONICLING AMERICA: Search America’s historic newspaper pages from 1789 – 1963 or use the directory to find information about American newspapers. 

PRIMARY VS SECONDARY SOURCES: Presented by the University of California Santa Cruz Library, this site helps you to distinguish between primary and secondary sources.

PYRAMID THEORY OF DOUBLING ANCESTORS: This article explores how many ancestors we may truly have. 

RESEARCH PROCESS: A wiki article that introduces the steps to take when doing family history research.

SPELLING/HANDWRITING – LETTERS CONFUSED FOR OTHER LETTERS, etc.: A wiki article that provides spelling substitution tables. 

THE REDBOOK: AMERICAN STATE AND TOWN SOURCES: Copy in Ready Reference in RELIC.

THE SOURCE: A GUIDEBOOK TO AMERICAN GENEALOGY: Copy in Ready Reference in RELIC.

VITAL RECORDS: Determine where to find official, certified copies of birth, marriage and death records for the United States. Remember, many records have been digitized; If you don’t need a certified copy, you should exhaust other options first.

WORLDCAT: Search for free. Connects you to the (catalogs of) collections and services of more than 10,000 libraries worldwide. Find more than two billion items in libraries near or far, including books, DVDs, CDs, and articles.

RELIC Contact Information:

Email: relic2@pwcgov.org

Phone: 703-792-8380

Central Library

8601 Mathis Avenue

Manassas, VA 20110

pwcgov.org/relic