Jan Leak, Systems Administrator has contributed the article this week. Working in a library you realize that many, many people are doing genealogy research. Our reference staff deal with emails and questions every single day from those researching their ancestors. It isn’t a hobby of mine and I have never thought that I would become interested in the topic. However, all that might have changed today. The library recently received a subscription to Ancestry.com Library edtion. When we acquire new databases the staff regularly work with them so that we can help the public with their queries. I had spent just a couple of minutes searching my own name when I came across something that astonished me. The database listed twins, a boy and a girl born to my parents two years before my birth. No mention of this has ever been made within the family. Both of my parents are deceased, but I do have one uncle still alive who may be able to unravel this mystery for me. What surprises might you find? Why not pay a visit to one of the four locations in the Niagara Falls Public Library System to see what you can discover about your family history? The database covers entries from census records, from birth, death and marriage records, from city directories, and phone books and covers the United Kingdom, the United States and parts of Europe. It is very simple to use, but you must keep in mind that many of the entries were created from handwritten records so inaccuracies in spelling can exist. If your ancestors are from the Niagara Region the library has a large collection of family histories. To see if your family is included go the library website and then select “For adults”, “Local History”, “Family Histories”. Reference and Information staff are always available to assist you with any inquiries and remember that we have a large selection of books and records that can aid you in your family history search.
Our database license unfortunately does not allow you access from home, it can only be used at the library. It has been made available to libraries free of charge for two years as part of the Ontario government's “Investment in Libraries”.