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Getting Started with Genealogy Research
Want to learn more about your family tree but don't know where to start?
Below are some great, free (!), resources to begin your search.
This guide from the State Library of North Carolina is an excellent introduction.
RootsMOOC
A collaborative project of the State Library of North Carolina's Government and Heritage Library and Wake Forest University's Z. Smith Reynolds Library, this massive open online course (MOOC) is a structured, video-based introduction to genealogy research.
Genealogy in the Library
In addition to online resources, the Lee County Libraries maintains a collection of valuable genealogy resources in the Local History & Genealogy Room. These include dozens of volumes of family histories, vertical files (including obituary clippings and name files), local vital records on microfilm, genealogy guidebooks, and key reference texts.
Online Genealogy Resources
Ready to dig into genealogy research? These online databases are available to all Lee County Libraries patrons.
*Note: Resources marked with an asterisk (*) require library card sign-in, and must be accessed through the library website.
Ancestry Library Edition*
The "big name" in online genealogical research, Ancestry provides access to searchable census records; city directories; birth, death, and marriage records; military records; and much more. The site allows you to clip images, create family trees, and connect with other users that share your ancestors. This resource must be accessed inside the library.
HeritageQuest*
Pulling from the same databases used by Ancestry, HeritageQuest does not require you to be in the library, and can be accessed at home.
African American Heritage (AAH)*
This database contains resources essential to genealogical research for African Americans, gathering Federal Census, Marriage and Cohabitation Records, Military Draft and Service Records, Registers of Slaves and Free(d) Persons of Color, Freedman's Bank, and more. The site also includes searchable versions of key texts and guidebooks in African American genealogy research.
FamilySearch
This genealogy resource is free to all, and gathers a similar database to Ancestry, including cemetery records; birth, death, and marriage records; census records; obituary records; and much more. To save your progress, you will need to create an account through their website.
Find a Grave
This free resource uses a community contribution model to build a database of more than 250 million memorials. Listings include images of grave markers, and sometimes even images of individuals uploaded by users.
Cemetery Census - North Carolina
This free resource is simpler than Find a Grave, and presents cemetery surveys conducted by volunteers over the years. This site is not updated as frequently as Find a Grave, but can still be a valuable resource.
