Who was once an IT professional but became a professional genealogist? Who is a very popular genealogy speaker and got his start at Cook Memorial Public Library District? Who writes about AI as well as copyright and has quite a few NEW books in our collection? Any guesses? THOMAS MACENTEE, that's who! As of right…
Have you ever had difficulty finding a record again? Perhaps you printed off or recorded information, but forgot to write down where you found it? This can be particularly challenging as you research online and move from website to website. As the title of this post suggests, it is important to cite the site right! Thankfully,…
Did you know that you can access additional records on FamilySearch at the library? That’s right! The library offers enhanced access to online FamilySearch records which are “otherwise accessible only through a FamilySearch center.” Of course, we have a lot of other awesome online and print resources for genealogists that you will want to explore,…
With the announcement of the recent sale of 23andMe to Regeneron, combined with their data breach in October 2023, there has been a lot of online chatter about the importance of privacy and security in genealogy. In fact, some very concerned folks have been completely deleting their DNA information from 23andMe and requesting that the…
Did you know that everything has been scanned and made available online? Speaking of online, did you know that you can trust everything on an online family tree? If you have done genealogy for a while, you have likely encountered a few myths and misconceptions (like these!), which have proven to be false, incomplete, or…
Have you tested your DNA for genealogical purposes? Are you curious about how DNA could help your family history research? Tomorrow (April 25) is National DNA Day, a day that celebrates the achievements in DNA research since the earliest days. Did you know that DNA research began in the nineteenth century (1869, to be precise!)?…
Spring is in the air, and it’s a perfect time to cultivate your genealogy skills and dig into something new to expand your knowledge! It is also a great time to grow as a genealogist, particularly if you are feeling a little green about certain aspects of the research. The seeds you plant today will…
What Do Seeds Have to Do with Our Immigrant Ancestors?! Join Daniel Smith, Genealogy Librarian, as he explores the connections between seeds and our immigrant ancestors. You may be surprised to learn that many immigrants brought seeds with them to America. These seeds were so valuable that they sometimes went to great lengths to hide…
What Do Seeds Have to Do with Genealogy?! Join Daniel Smith, Genealogy Librarian, as he explores the connections between seeds and genealogy on the Cook Memorial Public Library Podcast. You may be surprised what you can learn about your family's history from seeds! During the episode, Daniel shares what he has learned about his ancestors…
Have you ever had difficulty locating the name of an ancestor's county of birth? Perhaps you have noticed an ancestor's county of residence is not the same as today? This is not uncommon, as county boundaries changed a lot in the early days of each state, particularly as it became more settled and populated. In…
