After a lot of genealogy research, both Trotter and Rau discovered they had sergeants in their lineage.
By Allie McLary
Genealogy, the study of family ancestries and histories, has become a hot topic and the librarians at the Capital Area District Libraries have taken notice. What’s more, they’re taking advantage of the library’s resources to discover more about their own family roots.
At the Downtown Lansing branch, Reference Librarian Anne Rau and Public Services Head Jessica Trotter have delved into their families’ histories using a variety of resources, including those offered to CADL cardholders. But in the beginning, they both started just by mapping out what they already knew.
That’s a good way for anyone to start, according to Rau. “Get a blank family tree form from the Microsoft site,” she advises. “Start with yourself and work your way backwards. Interview family members and write everything down.”
The next step is to turn to library resources. With access to census data and other records becoming more available every day, it’s easier to trace the roots of your family tree. For example, Ancestry.com now allows CADL cardholders to search by name in the 1940 census for Michigan residents.
Sometimes photos of the actual census, marriage certificate or other official document can give more away than just names and dates. Both Rau and Trotter discovered that it’s not so much the names added to the family tree, but the stories behind them that really make things interesting.
After researching their family trees, the two librarians found something they had in common: Trotter’s grandfather and Rau’s great uncle were both sergeants in the military. “I always knew my mother grew up as an army brat and lived in lots of places growing up,” Trotter said. “But we were all surprised to learn that her third great grandmother also moved around a lot because her father was in the British Army.”
Some of the genealogy resources available with a CADL card include:
• The Ancestry Library Edition Database. It can only be used inside a library, but allows access to census information, birth, marriage, death records and more.
• The HeritageQuest Database. It can be used from any computer to access census information, a digitized Genealogy and Local History Collection, the Periodical Index and more.
• Genealogy Classes. Upcoming topics include Genealogy for Kids, Michigan Roots and more. Find a current list by visiting cadl.org/events and typing “genealogy” in the keyword box.
CADL’s website, cadl.org, contains a treasure trove of information for both beginning and experienced genealogists. Just click on Research Tools in the left column, select Genealogy, then begin discovering the stories that make up your family tree.
The Capital Area District Libraries Marketing Department is located at 401 S. Capitol Avenue in Lansing, MI. Contact them at 517-367-6348. Find information about CADL locations, services and events at cadl.org.
This was printed in the August 12, 2012 – August 25, 2012 Edition
