One-On-One Assistance
Book a one-on-one session with a librarian to learn how to search online genealogy resources. Call Adult Services at 630-260-1550 to schedule an appointment.
Getting Started
Books at the Glenside Public Library District:
- Family History 101 by Marcia Yannizze Melnyk
929.1072 Mel - Genealogy, the Internet and Your Genealogy Computer Program by Karen Clifford
929.1028 CLI - Complete Idiot’s Guide to Genealogy by Christine Rose
929.1072 Ros
Helpful Websites for Beginners:
For Forms and Charts
Free Online Resources
- Family Search: FamilySearch maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family history. It gathers, preserves, and shares genealogical records worldwide.
- US Gen Web: US Gen Web is a group of volunteers working together to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. .Organization is by county and state, and this website provides you with links to all the state genealogy website.
- Access Genealogy: Access Genealogy is a large free genealogy search that has 12 main search categories, each with their own collections of data.
- National Archives and Records Admin: NARA is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records.
- Cyndi’s List: A categorized & cross-referenced index to genealogical resources on the Internet.
- Find a Grave: The website contains listings of cemeteries and graves from around the world.
Access At A Library
- Ancestry: Library Edition (temporarily available from home) delivers billions of records in census data, vital records, directories, photos, and more. Access the world’s most popular consumer online genealogy resource right from the library. Answers await everyone—whether professional or hobbyist, expert or novice, genealogist or historian—inside the more than 7,000 available databases. Here, you can unlock the story of you with sources like censuses, vital records, immigration records, family histories, military records, court and legal documents, directories, photos, maps, and more.
- Heritage Quest: HeritageQuest provides genealogical and historical sources for more than 60 countries, with coverage dating back as early as the 1700s. Available at Carol Stream Public Library, Glen Ellyn Public Library, Helen Plum Public Library
- Fold3: Fold3 provides convenient access to US military records, including the stories, photos and documents of the men and women who served. Available at Carol Stream Public Library, Helen Plum Public Library
- America’s Obituaries and Death Notices: A collection of obituaries and death notices from hundreds of U.S. newspapers and the Social Security Death Index, searchable by name of the deceased, date range, or personal information contained in the obituary or death notice, such as residence, occupation, or relatives’ names. Available at Wheaton Public Library
- American Ancestors: New England Historic Genealogical Society’s award-winning website, it is the online repository for more than 1 billion searchable names from America and beyond. Available at Helen Plum Public Library, Wheaton Public Library