Genealogy
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of family history and the discovery of one's roots. Tracing your family's ancestry takes basic research skills, patience and time. Start at the beginning - with yourself, and your generation. Then just keep working backwards - generation by generation. Organize your data as you go along. Take good notes and keep records of the resources you use.
Guides for Starting Genealogy Research
- Genealogy Learning Center
- Family Tree Maker's Online Genealogy Courses
- Library of Congress Guides to Genealogical Research
- National Archives Genealogy Information
Local Resources
- Austin History Center
- Austin Genealogical Society
- Central Texas Genealogical Society
- LDS Family Search Centers
- Texas General Land Office
- Texas State Library
- Travis County TXGenWeb Project
Obituaries
- Austin American Statesman through Gale (back to 1996)
- Austin American Statesman through Factiva (back to 1989)
- Austin History Center Obituary Requests (all dates)
Databases
- Ancestry Library Edition (available in the Library only)
- HeritageQuest (available in the library, or from home with a valid APL card)
- AtoZdatabases Residential Database (available in the library, or from home with a valid APL card)
Web Resources
- Access Genealogy offers links to mostly free genealogy databases and sites.
- Archives.com has the 1940 census.
- Cyndi's List features links to more than 180,000 genealogy sites categorized and cross-referenced in over 150 categories.
- DAWES Rolls (Native Americans)
- Family Search provides facts on individuals before 1920, and many of the LDS genealogy databases.
- Fold3 has military records.
- SlaveAncestors is a guide to tracing slave ancestors.
- Old Bailey Online has texts detailing 197,745 criminal trials held at London's central criminal court 1674-1913.
- Rootsweb has links to both free and subscription databases, research guides, and online community.
- UKCensus Online provides census records which were taken every ten years in England and Wales between 1841 and 1911.
- Where to Write for Vital Records tells you where and how to obtain birth, death, marriage, and divorce records in every state.
Information Guide Subject:
Research Tip
The 1940 census records were released by the US National Archives April 2, 2012, and brought online through a partnership with Archives.com. This website allows you full access to the 1940 census images, in addition to 1940 census maps and descriptions. The 1940 census which was taken in April 1940 has also been added to AncestryPlus.
Research Books
By Jason Walker and Will Erwin with Helen Thompson ; epilogue by Governor Rick Perry ; photographs by Laurence Parent ; additional photographs by Will Erwin.
By Megan Smolenyak ; foreword by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
A noted genealogist reveals what it is like to be a history detective using twenty-first-century techniques and technology, and discusses some of the cases she has solved, including the families of celebrities and work for the Army and the FBI.
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