Genealogy and Family History: Online Resources

(Brigham Young University) Access to hundreds of databases, many are open access.

(Cyndi Ingle) A categorized & cross-referenced index of thousands of genealogical resources on the Internet.

(Comparitech) Commercial DNA testing kits are becoming increasingly popular, but what are the privacy risks involved? This article explores who can access your DNA information and the potential unintended consequences.

(FamilySearch) FamilySearch is the largest genealogy organization in the world. This site provides free access to extensive resources and records gathered and preserved by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. You may need an account to access all information available on the site.

(Yankee Publishing) Provides free downloadable forms that can help access and organize family history information.

(Find a Grave) Primarily a grave registration site, you may search for the graves of ancestors (if their grave has been registered with the site). Graves of thousands of famous people can be searched by name, location, date, claim to fame, and so on. This information includes a biography. Membership is free.

(RootsWeb) The Obituary Daily Times is a daily index of published obituaries. It is distributed freely, often twice a day by email, and usually has over 2,500 entries a day.

(RootsWeb) Free site funded by Ancestry.com, providing guidance on researching family history, as well as resources and tools.

(The USGenWeb Project) The USGenWeb® Project was established in 1996 by a group of genealogists who shared a desire to create free online resources for genealogical research. Originally beginning with online directories of text-based resources, their vision has grown into a network of over 3000 linked websites, all individually created and maintained by a community of volunteers. Today you may find a variety of unique county and state resources including photos, maps, transcriptions, historical documents, helpful links, and much more.

(OCLC) WorldCat is a key website for genealogists and can be used to find historic newspapers, church histories, wills, manuscripts, maps, etc. This site will tell you how to use WorldCat for genealogical research.