New Year, New Service - Indian Trails Public Library District

Hello everyone! The Indian Trails Public Library District (ITPLD) is excited to offer a brand new service – an online Genealogy newsletter. Each quarterly issue will include relevant articles and information, upcoming programs, new items to the collection and more. For the January 2021 issue, the focus is on exploring available resources and tools for those doing genealogy research from home.

This article is from the “Relatively Speaking” Genealogy E-news. Sign up for tips for genealogists and in-depth information on library resources and programs.

Finding genealogy resources from home

January 2021 | By Shannan

Your local library is a valuable asset for researching genealogy at home. ITPLD’s online resources include five genealogy related databases: America’s GenealogyBank, America’s Obituaries and Death Notices, Ancestry, Chicago Tribune Historical, and Heritage Quest.

All are accessible remotely with an ITPLD card in good standing. Even Ancestry, which was previously only available within the library, is currently available at home, on a temporary basis. In addition to these genealogy databases, you can find online genealogy learning under classes in the resources page. Gale Courses has a six-week class titled “Genealogy Basics.”

Need Assistance?

The library’s Genealogy & Local History collection has informative, interesting books, magazines and handouts to help you in your research. Topics include deciphering handwriting, DNA testing, researching difficult to find ancestors and more. If you can’t find the item you are looking for in our collection, Interlibrary Loan is another option for ITPLD card holders.

If you get stuck, no worries! Adult Services staff are available to offer genealogy assistance. Whether this is in-depth research into a specific puzzle that has stumped you or guidance on where to start, we are here to help.

Resource Spotlight: BillionGraves and Find A Grave

Accessible from home with an ITPLD card, these websites focus on digitizing gravestones and are great resources if you are unable to visit a cemetery or want to scope out the layout in advance.

Each gravestone includes a photo, the inscription (if it is decipherable), and often essential dates and relationships. You can help add to their digitization goal by uploading your own relevant photos and information. Join us each quarter and learn more how we can help you in your genealogy research. Send us your suggestions or topics you would like to see included or discussed to adult@itpld.org.

Creating Family archives: A step by step guide to saving your memories for future generations

By Margot Note

Margot Note offers guidance on how to best organize and preserve artifacts and memories for the future. This book is coming soon to our collection. It will be raffled in the March 9 program, “Preserve Your Past!”

Catalog

LAUNCH PAD on the GO KITS OFFERS GENEALOGY RESEARCH TOOLS

Your ITPLD card can check out one of these kits to help you in your genealogy work. Some relevant kits include:

Archival slide scanner
GoPro
Camera
Zoom handheld recorder kit

These items can be used for taking photographs of ancestral artifacts, recording oral history accounts from family and friends and preserving family heirlooms for the future.

For a change, immerse yourself in historical traditions and lifestyles with our calligraphy, crocheting cross stitch, embroidery, knitting and sock loom kit. Find out more about Launch Pad on the Go Kits.

SOURCES AND WHY THEY MATTER

by Claudia C. Breland

This article discusses how information and sources can become unreliable in intentional and unintentional ways. The author includes words of wisdom on the importance of checking the original source and exploring further in both genealogy and other areas of your life.