The second must-have book you should have in your personal genealogy library is “The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy: Trace Your Roots, Share Your History, and Create Your Family Tree”, by Kimberly Powell. This popular genealogy book, now in its third edition, is just what it says in the title. It teaches you pretty much everything you need to know about using the Internet to trace your family tree. Because so much genealogy is done online these days, as opposed to making trips “into the field” as was the best technique in pre-Internet times, it can be a bit overwhelming to know where to go online and what to look at to get the best results for your family tree. This book takes the guesswork out of it.
There are literally billions of genealogical records online today. Not millions. Not even hundreds of millions. Actual billions. This can be a daunting number for even the most seasoned genealogist. Where do you go to start looking for family history records online, with that many choices? Where do you even begin to search? Which websites are the most reliable and accurate? Thanks to this book, you have all of those answers and more at your fingertips.
It is wonderful that we are able to trace our family trees largely from home these days and do so accurately and with a high level of excellent scholarship. The Internet has revolutionized genealogy that way. The DNA databases available for testing and enhancing our family trees that way are also an amazing resource and important addition to our box of genealogical research tools.
Powell guides you through locating your ancestors and living family members online in this book, going over a variety of topics of interest to online genealogists. Some of these topics include which websites are the best to search, how to search these websites in an effective manner, how to properly and accurately decipher the information on census records and other online documents, selecting the best way for you personally to share genealogical information with family members online, and how to connect with other genealogists on social media who are researching the same family lines as you.
Powell takes a look at both free and paid genealogy websites, as well as the various and ever-increasing number of genealogy apps, and how they can help you in your genealogy research. With this book on your personal genealogy bookshelf, you will easily be able to go across the whole Internet and back again, scouring it to find your most elusive ancestors and living members of branches of your family today who you may not have met. With the correct techniques, you can use the Internet to take your family tree back generations, even centuries, and still be as sure as any genealogist can be of the accuracy of your information. This comprehensive research guidebook shows you how you can do it and be successful.
