HeritageQuest Online: New and Improved

Have you used our HeritageQuest Online resource to do family research? You might be excited to know that through a partnership with Ancestry.com, it's getting an upgrade! If you have no idea what I am talking about—now is the perfect time to check out this wonderful genealogy resource at the library or from home using your library card.

HeritageQuest, like the genealogy database Ancestry Library Edition (in-library use only), is what you can use to learn more about that great-aunt Thelma from Arkansas (the pie baker), or to track down details about your great-great grandfather (who some claim invented the paperclip).

HeritageQuest was already a great resource with these 6 collection areas:

• 1790-1940 U.S. Federal Census records
• Genealogy and local history books, including city directories (search your name to see if your family is in one).
• PERSI, the Periodical Source Index, guides you to thousands of genealogy articles.
• Freedman’s Bank Records—many freed slaves and others deposited their money in this bank from 1865-1871. Look for your ancestors here.
• U.S. Serial Set, which has petitions, memorials and private relief actions from the U.S. Congress.
• Revolutionary War records—find out if your ancestor served.

But now, as of March 4…it is so much better with these improvements:

• Smoother interface with more searching options and easier-to-understand results.
• ADA compliance for people with disabilities
• More census schedules added—Indian census rolls, slave schedules, non-population schedules and others.
• Image viewer is new and improved. (You needed a Ph.D to use the old one!)
• Maps tab is more prominent—find census maps for each state to see how county and state boundaries have changed.
• New research aids have tips and tricks for all levels of researchers.

And last, but definitely not least, what you have all been waiting for….

• Every-name indexing!!! HeritageQuest has caught up with Ancestry Library Edition so now you can search almost all names in the census records, not just the heads of households.

After you check out HeritageQuest, take a look at all our Genealogy Online Resources. If you hit a road block and want to learn more genealogy tips, come on in for these genealogy books:

Finding your Chicago Ancestors: Genealogist and local historian Grace DuMelle gives great advice for locating your Chicago family and getting started in basic research.

Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques: If you are past the beginner's stage, this is perfect for you. Learn what genealogy software is out there and how to use social networking to supplement and share your research.

Secrets of Tracing your Ancestors: A beginner's book that teaches both online techniques and where to look for genealogy gems like military and church records. Plus, the author gives you real stories from his own family research as examples.