Ancestry® Library Edition @ DPL
Decatur Public Library has a new resource that uses technology to make tracing family trees easier.
Ancestry® Library Edition, a Web-based reference tool distributed by ProQuest, will allow you to start exploring your roots by searching a surname. Anyone can come into the library to dig into Ancestry Library Edition’s millions of records – as far back as the 1400s. All you need is a Decatur Public Library card to access our computers. Due to licensing restrictions, this resource is only available on the Library computers.
The library is responding to a growing interest in family history that’s captured not only Decatur and Morgan County, but America as a whole. A new nationwide survey* shows 73% of Americans want to learn more about their roots, up from 60% in 2000. Twenty-five percent of those surveyed became interested after searching for a family surname online, pointing to the increasing popularity of Internet-based genealogy.
Ancestry® Library Edition is available on the library’s public computers located in the main area of the Library. To get the most out of the experience, come prepared with a list of ancestors to research. Make a list of the names of every direct ancestor you can think of.
Once connected to Ancestry® Library Edition, you’ll find a friendly opening screen that asks for the name of the person to be searched. Key in the name, click on “Search” and Ancestry® Library Edition scans its vast selection of U.S. federal and state census data, birth, marriage, and death records, military records, Social Security death records, and immigration lists. It also includes an extensive collection of information from the U.K., including images census records and civil registrations. Additionally, probate records dating back to the 1500s are included from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The information you find are pieces of a puzzle that you’ll assemble. These records have “clues” to the past – places where ancestors lived, names of relatives, birth or death dates, etc – that lead to more information. Names can be added to form the “tree” or searched to find more clues.
You can also sign in at our Reference Desk for access to our Alabama Room, where we have additional genealogical resources.
to access Ancestry Library Edition
(must be on DPL public computer for link to work).
