Getting Started in Genealogy
Researching your ancestors and the history of your
community can be fun and rewarding. By learning more about your
family's history, you will have a better understanding of who you
are and your heritage. You can begin by viewing, printing, and
entering information on the Record of Ancestry
chart.
The ancestry chart is provided in a PDF (Portable
Document Format) file, which can be viewed or printed using your Web
browser and Adobe Acrobat Reader software. Macintosh and Windows
versions of Acrobat Reader may be downloaded free of charge from
Adobe.
Remember, you eventually will need to verify
your entries by consulting the original records of these events.
This careful documentation of family history marks the work of a
good genealogist.
Where to begin
Your local library can provide you with any
number of books from which you can learn the fundamentals of
genealogy. Your local librarian can often provide the names and
addresses of local genealogical and historical societies. The
people in these organizations are more than happy to encourage you
in your new hobby and offer helpful advice. For suggestions from
the professionals on beginning your family history search, try the
National Genealogical
Society.
Contact the Illinois
State Genealogical Society for information on membership,
society, projects and activities.
Links to
researching at the Illinois State Archives
The Illinois
Regional Archives Depositories (IRAD), a unit of the Illinois
State Archives, maintains local governmental records at seven
sites throughout the state.
The Illinois
State Archives in Springfield maintains state and related
federal governmental records.
Other
Genealogy Links
Genealogy
Resources on the World Wide Web links to many helpful sources
of information for genealogical research.
Illinois
GenWeb focuses on resources for Illinois research.
Cyndi's List
is the most comprehensive list of genealogical resources available
on the web.
Back
to Genealogical Research in the
Illinois State Archives page
|