The following list has ways you can learn to research your
own family tree, starting at the top with the easiest and cheapest ideas, down to the most expensive and time
consuming at the bottom of the list. All can be done from home or nearby to Londonderry, New Hampshire. Almost all these ideas can easily be found in any state or area of the country. If anyone else has ideas
or additions to this list, please leave a comment:
1. FREE online videos at www.familysearch.org, the website run by
the Church of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons).
At the page https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/home.html
you will find over 300 video tutorials on topics such as “Basic Italian
Genealogy Research” and “Getting Started with Family History”. Use the main website for access to millions
of FREE online records from all over the globe.
2. Visit the Family History Center at the LDS church on
Concord Street, Nashua for FREE (there are more in NH, Mass and all 50 states). There
is a small fee for ordering microfilm from Salt Lake City. Knowledgeable staff to answer your questions. To find a Family History Center local to you please check the website www.familysearch.org
3. Consult your local library’s reference department to see
if they run genealogy classes for free.
Most local libraries have the institutional version of Ancestry.com on
their computers, for FREE use by patrons, saving you the subscription fee you
would have to pay on your home computer. Many libraries also have subscriptions to GenealogyBank.com or newspaper archives online for FREE, too.
4. Join a local genealogy club, such as the Hudson, NH Genealogy Club that
meets every 2nd Friday of the Month at the Rogers Memorial Library
or the Chelmsford, Mass Genealogy Club that meets the first Tuesday night of each
month at 7PM in the Chelmsford Public Library.
Going to regularly scheduled meetings gives you the chance to ask
questions and hobnob with more advanced genealogists. FREE.
5. Visit the Department of Vital Records on 71 South Fruit
Street, Concord, New Hampshire. There
are staff and volunteers to assist in searching for birth, marriage, divorce
and civil union certificates going back to the 1600s. FREE but there are fees for obtaining
certified copies of records.
6. Visit the NH State Library at 20 Park Street in
Concord. FREE. There is an online catalog at www.nh.gov/nhsl/
7. “Attend” an online “webinar” for free or for a low
cost. See the calendar at www.blog.geneawebinars.com Most of
the webinars are free. Dozens of webinars
every month ranging from beginners to advanced level genealogy courses.
8. Join the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists www.nhsog.org and attend two general
meetings every year with great speakers. The Quarterly journal New Hampshire Genealogical Record will
inspire you to do more advanced work, and provide tips. $20/ year for individual members. By the way, there are also societies in nearly every state, including Maine and Massachusetts.
9. Join the American Canadian Genealogical Society in
Manchester www.acgs.org for $35.00/ year for an individual
member. This gives you access to their
large library at 4 Elm Street in Manchester, individual assistance from a very knowledgeable
staff, a yearly conference and a subscription to the Society’s journal American Canadian Genealogist. Hanging out at the library in Manchester is
only $5 per day, and you will have the chance to meet genealogists of all
levels of expertise. And they love to
answer questions! Free parking, too.
10. For $40/year for
an individual membership you can join the New Hampshire Historical Society and
have access to their large library and also their museum. Free or discounted lectures and
workshops. The staff is very good at
helping with genealogy requests and research, and the card catalog is available
online, too. The library is open to
non-members for $7 day fee. www.nhhistory.org
11. Join the New England Historic Genealogical Society www.americanancestors.org and have access to
their six floor library in Boston, and a large online database, as well as a
quarterly journal The New England Historic Genealogical Society Register and a quarterly magazine American Ancestors. Frequent free workshops and more advanced
classes and courses for fees of various amounts. Visiting the library and research center at 99 Newbury Street in Boston gives you the chance to
mingle with genealogists of all levels, and to consult with some of the best
staff genealogists informally for FREE or more formally in scheduled
appointments for a fee. $79.95 yearly
for an individual membership.
12. Join Ancestry.com
for $22/95 month, $77.70 for six months
or for a free trial membership.
This is a large online database, with town, state and federal records,
trees submitted by members, newspapers, military records and lots of other
online goodies. It costs $24.95 per
month for access to international records.
13. Boston University
offers a certificate in Genealogy Research, both online and on campus in
Boston. This class is an intensive way
to develop the skills needed to become a professional genealogist or for those
who work in libraries, law, research or related fields. http://professional.bu.edu/programs/genealogy/ Tuition is $2695 for the fifteen week, non
credit class on-line.
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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Baker’s Dozen of ways to Learn more about Genealogy", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 4, 2012, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-bakers-dozen-of-ways-to-learn-more.html: accessed [access date]).
This is a very helpful list for anyone, experienced or new genealogist. Even just visiting and taking advantage of a couple of the sites will help someone. Good job Heather!
ReplyDeleteThanks for ideas on getting the info. I've designed an original family tree chart (similar to the one you pictured here) that is a nice gift idea. It can be seen at my Etsy shop. Here's a link to the family tree section: http://www.etsy.com/shop/FreshRetroGallery?section_id=7206830
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