Dennis will review and demonstrate how to access the various free online book repositories for your genealogical research. He will share the benefits of PERSI and periodical research, as well as Newspaper research through free and paid repositories. Finally, he'll discuss Special Collections that can be found online and offline that can assist you with your research. Dennis will review the push and pull reasons your ancestors may have had for leaving their old country and moving to the United States. He will review the variety of ports they may have arrived at, and then review searching the Ellis Island Passenger List website as well as Castle Gardens. He will finish the class with a look at naturalization records, where they can be found, and what type of evidence you can find in them.

Document Organization The two most important tasks in genealogical research is organizing your findings and documenting the sources of your findings. Be kind to yourself and start these tasks immediately. The key for you is to find or create a system that works with your style of thinking! Marcia will review the variety of methods researchers have developed to record their family trees. We will also use this time to take a brief look at our own genealogy book collection. Citing Sources Documentation Will Make Your Research Easier and Faster Documentation Helps Prevent Duplication of Research Documentation Gives Others Confidence in Your Research Documentation Doesn’t Have to Be Hard Researching at Repositories A repository in genealogy terms is a physical location where genealogical material is held. Marcia will provide instruction on how to develop a research plan before you head off to a repository and also review the different types of genealogical evidence you can find. Genealogy Websites Comparisons Marcia will review the big 4 genealogy research sites and show how they stack up to one another.