Summer is a good time for family reunions. If your family has one, it probably makes you wonder about where your family originated and how they lived. If you’d like to find out, you can find a lot of information at the library.
We have books telling how to research your family or describing other countries and events from history. There are maps that show where they lived or how the boundaries of counties and countries changed over time. Sometimes there are local history books that mention your family or even have a picture. Some of these materials have been scanned and can be viewed on your computer—explore our Digital Images Collections!
You can search Heritage Quest or World Vital Records for census listings, history books from other areas and images of original documents like passenger lists and World War draft registration cards by using your library card to log in. Access old newspapers at Newspaper Archive. Search for an local area obituary in our index (we have the Appleton newspapers on microfilm back to 1853).
If you are able to come to the library we have even more resources - use Ancestry Library Edition for free or view unique books and maps that are not available online. If you are new to genealogy, we have booklists that explain how to use the tools and where to start; or sign up for a 1:1 session to learn about library resources that may provide answers.
What a thrill to know more about your ancestors’ lives!
P.S. Check the events calendar for genealogy speakers starting in November, for the third season of Find Your Ancestors.