Great news for all genealogy buffs. Ancestry Library Edition, which is normally accessible while visiting a Christian County Library branch, is now available for home use! In cooperation with the Springfield-Greene County Library District, we are now able to offer at-home access through June 30, 2021.
Library users are able to browse genealogical records such as city directories, birth records, marriage records, death records, census information, and more online through Ancestry. Grab your Christian County Library card and head over to the library’s research page. Scroll down to the Ancestry database and follow the link: “Click here for remote access to Ancestry outside the library.” Then enter your last name and library card number in the fields provided (Note: disregard the message requiring a valid Springfield-Greene County Library Card, all Christian County Library Cards will work due to our partnership with Springfield-Greene County Library District). If your card needs to be updated, just send us your name, library card number, current address, and phone number using the secure Ask a Librarian form, or give us a call or stop by the closest community local branch.
New to genealogical research?
Start the journey by filling out a generation chart. Not only will this tool provide a framework for your own family tree, but it will also help keep information organized while completing genealogy research. It might seem intimidating at first, so start by adding yourself and work backward with parents, grandparents, and so on with the information you already have or know. Don’t worry about being 100% sure if the information is correct. Knowing even a decade in which a family member was born or a state they may have resided in will help when searching on Ancestry.
To expand on your family history research, we also offer other genealogy databases, all of which may be used from home with your Christian County library card:
- Heritage Quest Online: Comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, convenient research guides, interactive census maps, and more.
- America’s Genealogy Bank: Search for ancestors in 300 years of newspapers, books, pamphlets, historical documents, social security index, and government reports.
- America’s Obituaries & Death Notices: A comprehensive collection of newspaper obituaries and death notices with an easy-to-use interface to search by name, date range, or text such as institutional name, social affiliation, geographic location, and philanthropic activities.
Now that you have the tools to get started, good luck time-traveling into your family’s history!