Download and print this "Quick Click" guide
Good Databases for Beginners
Unless otherwise indicated, access our genealogy e-resources by entering your 14-digit Northbrook Library card number, without spaces, when prompted.
Ancestry Library Edition (In-Library Use Only)
FamilySearch (Discover your family's history through the largest collection of genealogical and historical records in the world. As an affiliate library, Northbrook Public Library is allowed access to billions of digitized records and images otherwise unavailable to the general public. (Affiliate level access inside the library only.)
Ask us for additional resources for a more targeted search!
Books for Beginners. Browse the 929’s…
Crowe, Elizabeth Powell. Genealogy Online. New York: McGraw Hill, 2015. Print.
929.10285 CRO
Dunn, Michael. A Beginner's Guide to Online Genealogy: Learn How to Trace Your Family History and Discover Your Roots. N.p.: Adams Media, 2015. Print.
929.10285 DUN
Morgan, George G. Genealogy. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015. Print.
929.1072 MOR
Szucs, Loretto Dennis, and Sandra Hargreaves. Luebking. The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy. Provo, UT: Ancestry, 2006. Print.
929.1072 SOU
Education and Classes
National Archives Start Your Genealogical Research
Help and Networking
The North Suburban Genealogical Society (NSGS) Meets at the Northbrook Historical Society!!
Computer Assisted Genealogy Group (caggni)
What next?
Explore our Genealogy programs
E-mail a reference librarian for help
First Steps in Genealogy
Download and print this "First Steps" guide
- Start with what YOU know: write names, dates, stories about your family
*Tip – Write your notes on premade family charts or explore family tree software on your computer or mobile device - Gather information from family members
*Tip – Things “Talk”: Don’t forget to examine photos, heirlooms and memorabilia - Determine your first research goal
*Tip – Create an organization plan for your research - Start a preliminary search through one of the online databases
*Tip – Cite and document all sources, you may need them later - Discover genealogy education opportunities and help forums
*Tip – Network with other genealogists online or at Genealogical Societies – Ask the Reference Desk for a list - Explore alternative resources
*Tip – Look at libraries, digital libraries, archives, cemeteries, historical societies, court houses, government offices, and universities - Preserve and Share your research
*Tip – Preservation Rule of 3 = 3 copies, in 2 different formats, 1 off-site
