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| Genealogy and Family History | |
| Interest in genealogy and family history continue to make them popular research projects. We have gathered together some information to help you get started. | |
| While the Mildred Johnson Library is not focused on genealogy, we realize that many people need to start somewhere. We hope the information and suggestions that follow will help you on your way. | |
| How do I get started? | |
| What about books to help me figure out what to do? | |
| What about the Internet to find information? | |
| Family History Databases? | |
| How do I get started? | |
| The best way to start is with yourself. The date you were born is the first bit of information. Other dates would include marriage/divorce, and spouse's birth date. The next step would be birth dates of any children you might have, and their marriage/divorce dates. Any death dates should be included as well. | |
| From there you go back a generation on each side starting with your siblings and your parents. You will find it easier to work in smaller chunks, families or generations. Often, information will come to you out of sequence or in big pieces when you least expect it. This makes up for the dry spells when it seems like all you are getting are dead ends. | |
| Various forms are available in books or online to help you keep track of everyone and how they are related. Software programs are also available for purchase of free downloading. Be sure to know what you are getting. It is best to talk to someone who has some experience to get a feel for whether you want to work with paper forms or jump right into keeping your records on the computer. | |
| If you use a computer, always back up your work and print the latest material frequently. | |
| What about books to help me figure out what to do? | |
| Many books are available for the beginning searcher, as well as for those more advanced or working in specialized areas. Consult ODIN to check out our Library's holdings, or to search your local North Dakota Library. If your library is not on ODIN, visit them to see what resources are available. Simply type in the word "genealogy" to see what materials are in the collection. | |
| Library collections often hold local, county, or city histories as well as church and some family histories. If you compile a family history, consider donating a copy to your local library. | |
| What about using the Internet to find information? | |
| The Internet provides access to a number of databases helpful to those doing genealogical research. However, typing in the word genealogy will produce millions of hits. It is better to use the Internet in one of two ways. | |
| The first way is to use the databases that are available. A few of these are listed under Family History Databases below. | |
| The second use of the Internet is to use one of the search engines, like Google or Yahoo, to search for a specific person. Be sure to put their name in quotation marks to further narrow your results. Be mindful of variations in spellings and first names. Also remember to look for any nicknames. Check the Help as necessary to focus your searches. | |
| Family History Databases? | |
| Below are just some of the databases available over the Internet. Be mindful that, while much is available for free, fees may be charged for access to various kinds of information. | |
| Always read the information that tells you what that particular site provides and any fees that may be applied. Determine whether you are looking at primary, or original, source material, i.e., a reproduction of a census page, or secondary source material, i.e., someone's family history. | |
| Ancestry Library | |
| Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet | |
| Ellis Island Records | |
| FamilySearch | |
| Find a Grave | |
| Free Genealogy Databases | |
| RootsWeb | |
