Handout to accompany Genealogy Crash Course training for library staff members

1. MyHeritage: Subscription service to over 6 billion historical records from the US
and across the globe; access through your library’s databases page
FamilySearch.com: Immense, free collection of family trees, genealogy records, and
resources; contains a large help wiki and learning center
www.phmc.pa.gov/Archives/Research-Online/Pages/Ancestry-PA.aspx
Pennsylvania State Archive’s free access to their records on
Ancestry.com for PA residents
www.archives.gov/research/genealogy: Genealogy Guides and Tools from the National
Archives and Records Administration
goo.gl/r7rHs2: Zeef Directory Page containing links with guidance and resources
for various categories; must have link to access
cyndislist.com: A comprehensive, categorized and cross-referenced list to point you
to genealogical research sites online
FindaGrave.com: Used for finding graves and creating virtual memorials, this site can
also connect family members
1. Start with your closest relatives and work backwards.
2. Analyze and cross-reference sources to verify information; be aware that much of the
information you find might conflict.
3. Vary how much information and what type of information you include when
searching.
4. Search in individual collections for specific record types, but know what’s in the
collection before you spend time searching.
5. Use wildcards like ? and * to fill in unknown or variant characters.
6. Stuck at a brick wall? Write everything down and look at it again, create a timeline, and
be willing to ask for help when needed.
[Via www.thoughtco.com]
Put last name in all caps: First Middle LAST
Enter women with their maiden name. Some genealogists also record the husband’s surname
Enter nicknames in quotes after given name (unless common): James “Sully” Patrick SULLIVAN
If a person is known by more than one name, include the alternate in parentheses preceded
by a.k.a.: William Tom LAKE (a.k.a. William Tom FRENCH)
Include alternate spellings by recording the earliest use first, followed by later usages:
Michael HAIR/HIERS
If middle name is not known, you can use just an initial
Enter locations smallest geography to largest:
Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, United States
Genealogy Information

2. Get Organized Check US Census
Check Vital
Records
Go Beyond
US Residential
Census
MyHeritage
FamilySearch
Census.gov/history
Vital Record from time of birth indicating
place of birth, gender and race of child,
and names of parents
Federal Survey of the population taken
every 10 years that can give information
on a family and link generations; 1790-
1940 available
MyHeritage
FamilySearch
Ancestry PA
http://www.phmc.
pa.gov/Archives
Record type Description
Where to start
the search
Birth Record
Vital Record from time of marriage
indicating names of bride, groom, and
parents, date of marriage, and more
MyHeritage
FamilySearch
Ancestry PA
Marriage
License
MyHeritage
FamilySearch
Ancestry PA
Vital Record from time of death
indicating name, next of kin, parent’s
names and birthplaces, date of death,
place of burial, and more
Death
Record
Death Master File for persons possessing
social security numbers
MyHeritage
FamilySearch
SSDI (Social
Security Death
Index)
MyHeritage
FamilySearch
Statelibrary.pa.gov
GenealogyBank ($)
(Newspaper Resources)
Notice of Death traditionally placed in a
newspaper that contains a brief
biography of the deceasedObituaries
MyHeritage
FamilySearch
Newspapers.com
Chronicling America
Power Library
Newspapers might contain information
like birth and marriage announcements,
obituaries, events family was involved in,
and even announcements for where they
spent their holidays
Newspapers

3. Popular before phones (and
phonebooks), city directories listed the
name, occupation, and address(es) of
residents in a certain area
MyHeritage
FamilySearch
Archive.com
DonsList.net
City
Directories
Publications of histories for certain areas
or family lines
MyHeritage
FamilySearch
WorldCat
Local/Family
Histories
Military Record filled out at the start of
service; registration cards also exist
MyHeritage
FamilySearch
Ancestry PA
Draft Card
Military Record of application or record of
pension, often includes a wealth of
genealogical information
Ancestry PA
FamilySearch
MyHeritage
Pension
Record
Publications providing details on the
organization and achievements of a
particular unit in wartime activities
FamilySearch
MyHeritage
CivilWarArchive.com
Regimental
Histories
Ship lists documenting the name of ship,
names of passengers, ages, ports of
arrival and departure, date, country of
origin, and occupation
MyHeritage
FamilySearch
CastleGarden.org
LibertyEllisFoundation.org
Passenger
Ship Lists
Records of immigrant’s naturalization into
the US, providing date of immigration,
ship name, ages and addresses of family
members, and more
MyHeritage
FamilySearchNaturalization
Records
Banking institution established 1865
primarily for the benefit of freed slaves
and former African American military
FamilySearch
Freedmens
Bank Records
Records from the Bureau of Refugees,
Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, est
1865 to supervise relief efforts, education,
healthcare, marriages and labor
contracts, and more
www.archives.gov/
research/african-
americans/
freedmens-bureau
Freedmens
Bureau