Subscription Database: Ancestry.com Library Edition

Trace your family history using Ancestry Library Edition.  This is a special version of the well-known Ancestry.com subscription web site made available free on computers in the Mukwonago Community Library.

What is Ancestry Library Edition?

Ancestry Library Edition is a database that contains documents useful for completing genealogical research from the USA, UK & Ireland, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.  These documents include:

• Census records
• Military records
• Court, land, and probate records
• Immigration records
• Periodicals and newspapers
• Birth, marriage, and death records (including the Social Security Death Index)
• Biography and history
• Reference and finding aids
• Directories and memberships

Getting Started

Basic Search

On the home page enter the first and last names of the person you are searching for.  You may also enter birth year, places they have lived, any life events, or family members.  Click the “Search” button and a new screen will appear with your results.

Advanced Search

Click the “Advanced Search” button to include keywords, gender, race/nationality, and to restrict the search to either “historical records,” “family trees,” “stories and publications,” or “photos and maps.”

Search Tips:

·         If you don't get any matches with an exact search, try broadening your search by including less information.

·         If you have too many results, try using the advanced search options to narrow down your results.

·         Use the default settings to find soundex or phonetic matches, names that only use initials, or names with similar meanings or spellings.

Results Page

Main Results

If your search is successful then a list of results will appear.  A number of results will appear at the top of the page.  Also this list of results can then be “sorted by relevance” or “summarized by category” by clicking the appropriate dropdown in the upper right hand corner.  Move the mouse over any of the results to get a preview of the record.  Click on the result to see the full record.

Searching For

The “Searching For” option can be found on the left hand side of the page.  This option will allow you to edit your current search or to start a new search.

Narrow by Category

The “Narrow by Category” option located on the left hand side lists the categories that produced results along with the number of hits in each category.  Clicking on a specific category will refine the listed results in the center of the page and provide more specific sub-categories to continue the narrowing process.

 

Printing, Emailing and Saving Your Results

Most records have an image that you can view.  When viewing an image, the “Print” button lets you print the entire image or just the selection currently visible on your screen.

Click on the “Properties” button in the box that pops up to change the print settings.

The “Save” button in the upper right hand corner lets you save the image as a .jpeg file on your thumb drive.

The “Share” button allows you to email the document.  Emailed documents will expire a few days after they are sent.