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, “right” is up to you to define.

“Citation is an art, not a science…Once we have mastered the basics, we are free to improvise.”

– Elizabeth Shown Mills in Evidence Explained (4th ed.) page 47

Wait! What is a citation, you ask? According to Elizabeth Shown Mills, a citation is “a statement in which one identifies a source consulted or the source of a specific assertion.” (Evidence Explained, pg. 696) In order words, they are a formal way to acknowledge a source. You have likely seen citations in various forms. Sometimes, they are placed in parentheses at the end of a sentence. Sometimes, they are listed at the bottom of a page as footnotes, or the end of a chapter/book as endnotes. At other times, they are contained in a long list in what is often called a bibliography or works cited. Many genealogy databases even allow you to include a citation at the end of anything that you download or print. Below is an example of what you may have encountered with each element properly identified.

Like with organizing your genealogy, you want to develop a system and stick with it. Basically, you want something that you can easily follow and adapt as needed. You also want to capture enough information about the source that you and others can find it again. Essential items to include are often the title, author, date, URL, etc. Honestly, the more information you capture as you go, the better off you will be later. Your future self (and your descendants!) will likely thank you for your efforts! Also, citations are a way to offer credit to the original source and/or author(s) and ethically use information in your genealogical research. They lend credibility to your research as well.

If you are not sure where to start, there are a lot of helpful citation guides and tools to help you. Explore some of the ones that are available at the library and online. Many genealogists really find Evidence Explained Elizabeth Shown Mills particularly helpful, as it includes information for citing many different types of sources. If this resource is a bit too complicated or more than you need, you can always try out Simple Citations for Genealogical Sources by Jeffry P. La Marca. Again, you do not have to replicate their suggestions, but these guides could give you hints for how to best capture citations for your own research. Unless you are planning to publish somewhere, a personal system should suffice. (Also, if you decide to publish somewhere, their citation system will likely vary and require you to make changes anyway.)

If you have questions, you can always reach out to Daniel for further clarification and help. Happy researching AND citing!

‘”No,” the king says, dashing her hopes. “None at all. They claim it cannot be done. That matter cannot be transformed, that something cannot be brought forth from nothing.” Phosyne chews her chapped lip to keep herself from arguing. Or, worse yet, agreeing.‘

Caitlin Starling, The Starving Saints, pg. 5

The Starving Saints begins with a need for a miracle. Aymar Castle is under siege, and has been under siege for half a year now. Resident ex-nun turned miracle-working madwoman Phosyne has deduced that there are 15 more days of food before they all starve. The king she serves expects her to conjure up sustenance, similarly to how she cleansed the water of disease. However…she has no leads, no frame of reference, no way to begin, and very little time left.

Phosyne is then entrusted to the care of Ser Voyne. Tall, broad, imposing, Ser Voyne is as uninterested in being Phosyne’s babysitter as Phosyne is being hounded by the King’s watchdog. Far beneath the castle halls, Treila De Batrilin, a once highborn noble brought low when Ser Voyne executed her father at the king’s command, alternatively plots her revenge and finds her escape route from the decaying keep. There is but one way in and out of the castle, and it demands sacrifice. All seems lost. Then, all three of these women come together when The Saints pass through the gate. At The Saints’ helm is the Constant Lady: golden and benevolent, and leading the castle straight into a bloody bacchanal of Boschian proportions.

The Starving Saints is particularly hard to define. Arthurian horror at its finest, a medieval fever dream that shoves together three women from across class and background in a claustrophobic race to survive. Paranoia and desire run rampant, which makes the exploration of depravity and humanity all the more fun to read—indeed, I raced through this book to see how it would end. The fantasy elements lend themselves well to a setting soaked in religiosity and desperation. This book is a great next read after the debauched religious ecstasy of The Unworthy by Agustina Maria Bazterrica, or the medieval and fantastical world building and character development within Nicked by M.T. Anderson.

Milwaukee Avenue is the main drag through Libertyville and the center of Illinois’ newest National Register Historic District. From Native American trail to a cruising strip between McDonald’s on the north and the Dog ‘n Suds on the south, Libertyville life has centered around this street. But there are a couple of specific historical events that tickle my funny bone.

1918

In May 1918, Red Cross members and the local Home Guard  collaborated to erect a “toll-gate” across Milwaukee Avenue to stop motorists and solicit donations. The gate was in place from 10 a.m. on a Saturday until midnight Sunday and raised a good sum, catching many people on the way north to the lakes for the weekend. Home Guard members halted drivers while Red Cross “fair maidens beseeched them to open their purses…”  [1]. The Libertyville Independent reported that most people were happy to give. But according to memories shared at a 1958 reunion of Home Guard members, not everyone complied. When one motorist tried to drive around the toll bar, Cpl. Raymond Bristow pulled the rope holding the toll bar down taught across the street. The driver ran in to it and his windshield was damaged [2].

1959

Some people in town may remember Frontier Days, a forerunner of today’s Libertyville Days festival. As the name suggests, Frontier Days revolved around a Wild West theme. Merchants and employees were encouraged to dress in western garb. Special activities included a quick draw contest and a mock stage coach robbery.

But the top promoted event was a so-called “shoot out” between two station wagons. At high noon (of course) spectators would witness a race between Ray Bernard of Bernard Chevrolet and Ed Kennedy of Hanlon Motors (Ford). Driving the newest model station wagons from their respective Milwaukee Avenue showrooms on either end of downtown, Bernard would head south while Kennedy would head north. The first one to Cook Park would win [3].

The following week’s newspaper reported that an estimated 35,000 people visited Libertyville during the three-day event, but there was no recap of the station wagon duel, so we can only assume the challenge occurred. We do know that Hanlon Motor’s Ed Kennedy won the festival’s quick draw contest [4]. If his foot was as quick as his draw, perhaps he and his metal steed were also victorious.

1963

Independent Register business manager Bob Amman looked back at his 244 months with the newspaper in a multi-page feature in the April 14, 1977 issue. One particular event stood out to him. He recalled that on a gray February 1963 day, someone looked out the window and said “you could fire a cannon up this street [Milwaukee Avenue] and not disturb anyone.” Amman, Ed Hanson, and Don Traynor took up the challenge. The three men sourced a Civil War Napoleon twelve pounder cannon and set it up at the intersection of Milwaukee and Cook Avenues. Hanson and Traynor served as “powder monkeys.” Amman, dressed in a kepi and his U.S. Marine dress jacket, rammed in the powder and lit the fuse.

The theory was disproved. Apparently shooting off a cannon in downtown Libertyville was quite noticeable. The hardware store lost a window and the “switch board at the police station lit up like Times Square.” Amman assured the reader of his look back article that he had village approval for the stunt, but he was pretty confident they wouldn’t approve a similar event ever again [5].

Explore views of Milwaukee Avenue through the years in the Libertyville Historical Society’s digitized photographs and postcards available through the Illinois Digital Archive.

Selected collections:
Life Before the Great War, circa 1915
Cizek Collection, mid 1950s
Libertyville Township Assessor collection, mid 1970s

The following Cook Memorial Public Library Local History files were referenced for this post: Libertyville Days, World War I, Businesses – Independent Register.

Sources:

1. “Toll-gate stopped autoists as they hit town.” Libertyville Independent 30 May 1918, p. 1. Cook Memorial Public Library Local History File – World War I
2. Report on October 27, 1958 Home Guard reunion organized by the Libertyville-Mundelein Historical Society. Typed manuscript on file at the Libertyville-Mundelein Historical Society.
3. “Uncork Rip-Snortin’ Wild West Weekend.” Independent Register, July 9, 1959, p1. Cook Memorial Public Library Local History File – Libertyville Days.
4. “35,000 Visit Our Frontier.” Independent Register, July 16, 1959, p.1. Cook Memorial Public Library Local History File – Libertyville Days
5. Amman, Bob. “Looking back with Bob Amman.” Independent Register, April 14, 1977, p1B. Cook Memorial Public Library Local History File – Businesses – Independent Register

Ask any prospective parent: names are a big deal. Sure, a rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but if Rose has to go through middle school? You’d best choose carefully. 

So the premise of Florence Knapp’s novel The Names is instantly, instinctively intriguing. In 1987, Cora Atkins takes her newborn son to the town registrar’s office, but when it comes time to choose a name, she hesitates. Her husband, the town’s beloved doctor who is secretly, viciously abusive, expects the child to be named Gordon, after him. Her nine-year-old daughter suggests Bear, because the boy is cuddly but strong. Cora herself longs to name him Julian.

And then Cora chooses a name. But which one?

All of them, actually. The story splits into three separate narratives – one for each name – and revisits the boy and his family in seven-year increments. We see the gradual unfolding of Gordon/Bear/Julian’s life over decades, offering insight into how his name has influenced every aspect of his world. There are commonalities between his varied lives, certainly, but each timeline spins in vastly different directions. Major characters from one thread receive only a passing mention in another; some are most notable by their absence. 

None of his lives unfold as expected.

In less capable hands, The Names would be a muddy, confusing mess. But Florence Knapp deftly braids together three distinct timelines (and casts of characters). Cora’s singular choice has a ripple effect not just on her son, but on herself and her daughter. The author’s skillfully drawn characters and nimble plotting make it easy to differentiate the timelines, but paying closer attention yields both unexpected connections and complex questions. How do other people’s choices shape our lives? How much of our identity is fixed? Are our lives fated, or is it possible for someone to choose their own path?

At times, this is a gut-wrenching read. Knapp excels at creating characters we grow to love, but she doesn’t shield them from tragedy. The cruelty Cora suffers at the hands of her husband is truly horrific. But there are moments of triumph as well. Ultimately, it’s a tremendously hopeful story – one that finds joy in small moments and meaningful connections. 

Moving, original, and thought-provoking, The Names will appeal to fans of character-driven stories that are emotionally engaging and explore big ideas, such as Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Hello Beautiful, and All The Colors of The Dark.

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, too!

Since 2013, Cook Memorial Public Library District has been a FamilySearch Affiliate Library. This partnership makes it possible for you to access additional content and records from the library. If you have searched and encountered a message that says the record is available at a FamilySearch Affiliate Library or FamilySearch Center (or a camera icon with an exclamation mark/key), come to Aspen Drive or Cook Park to see if you can view the record(s). You can either use a library computer or connect to our Wi-Fi with your personal device to access, anytime the libraries are open.

To learn more about what you can access at the library versus your home, check out this FamilySearch page. (Although most FamilySearch records are available freely from home, you may encounter other messages when trying to view them online. To learn more about the different access levels, check out this page.)

Don’t know what FamilySearch is? No problem! This amazing online genealogy resource is free for anyone to use, as long as you set up a free account. FamilySearch is “dedicated to preserving important family records and making them freely accessible online…[Their] work is worldwide and has involved collaborations with more than 10,000 organizations in over 100 countries.” You do not need to have a library card or be a member of their church to utilize the site. To learn more about this awesome resource, open the Getting Started page and read their About page.

Are you located far away? If you are not near our library, you can locate a FamilySearch Affiliate Library or Center near you. Then, you can plan your visit. We hope to see you at the library soon if you are close by though!

Happy FamilySearch(ing)!

If  you lost a loved one and found yourself unable to manage your profound sadness and sense of loss, would you choose to sleep it away? Could you sleep your grief away?

Nikki Erlick poses these are the questions in her newest, speculative work, The Poppy Fields.

Our tale begins in the Kansas City airport. The four main characters, Sasha, Ava (and her sweet pup, PJ), Ray and Sky are hunkered down around the airport waiting for a tornado to pass. The tornado damage results in the cancellation of all flights. Ava (and PJ), Sasha and Ray wind up renting a bright yellow car. The group nicknames the vehicle Canary and hits the road (don’t worry Sky will return).

Our travelers head to the Poppy Fields, an experimental grief treatment center where patients are given a month of sleep to overcome grief. Each traveler’s reason for heading to the Poppy Fields is different. Ray needs to know out why his brother died. Sasha wishes to understand why she was rejected for “the sleep.”  And Ava wants to reconnect with and confront her sister who is the founder of The Poppy Fields.

As the group drives along, they pick up Sky who is hitchhiking across the country. While she maybe young, Sky’s curiosity and joy infects the others. Her questions result in each traveler revealing their secrets, sorrows, and the impact their losses have had on their lives. Conversations that cause each to reconsider their motives for going to the Poppy Fields.

This is a story, at its heart, of shared humanity, grief, and loss. A poignant tale of what people are willing to do to overcome their sorrows.

This is a book for you if you liked Faithful by Alice Hoffman or Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang.

‘The scent of fresh-baked bread and roasted meat drifts toward her, and hunger blooms, sudden and bright, but when she moves toward the table, Andrés catches her wrist. “Leave it,” he says again, and María knows, by the tone of his voice, that his hunger has a different shape.‘

V.E. Schwab, Bury Our Bones in The Midnight Soil, pg. 47

A story about hunger; about love; about revenge; and the thread of immortality that binds them together. Evidently, 2025 has been a year dedicated to hunger, and I’m not talking about the cookbooks splayed on my kitchen table. Hunger has splashed across the pages of 2025’s most anticipated reads, from cannibalistic mother-daughter duos, to maddening desire.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is one of those reads — weaving the stories of María, Charlotte, and Alice together across centuries and half the globe. María craves a winding path during the Spanish Renaissance, and will do whatever it takes to avoid a fate she feels she doesn’t deserve. She has never felt full. Charlotte keeps her heart on her sleeve, a Georgian-era Romantic who faces a world that will break her again and again. Finally, Alice reinvents herself in 21st-century Boston — New Alice is not afraid of existing in her body, at least until a one-night stand leads Alice on a quest for answers. María, Charlotte, and Alice have stories intertwined deep below the surface, the roots of their hunger tied up in each other, in knots.

Undoubtedly, the building of the world of these three women is a monument to their grief, their desire and their poisonous connection to one another. Whereas Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue focuses on the loneliness and isolation of immortality, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil instead sets its sights on the rage. What do you give up when you lose the thing that makes you the most human? This book is the perfect next read after A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson or Hungerstone by Kat Dunn.

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 company destroy their samples. (If you took this step, hopefully you downloaded your genealogy matches and information before closing your account.) Even though Regeneron has committed to maintaining 23andMe’s existing privacy policy, it is always a good idea to stay vigilant online, particularly with your DNA data and living family information. Both of these require various considerations and will be addressed separately.

DNA Data

DNA can unlock a whole world of connections and information! If you have submitted your DNA to any of the sites, you likely know that these connections and tools are invaluable and unparalleled in genealogical research. They can help you break through brick walls and understand relationships in so many complex ways. That said, protecting your DNA data is very important, and most of the websites have ways for you to do this. When submitting your DNA, you are often given options to opt in and out of certain research and sharing, and even after you submit, you can still make changes to your settings. Each website is different, so you will want to review the options at the various DNA sites to learn more.

Living Family Information

Sharing the information of living family members is something that should always be done with consent and care. While you may not be sharing a lot of information about someone, this information can be very revealing if somehow compromised. Some sites, like FamilySearch, do not even want you to include this information in the GEDCOM file(s) that you upload and will ask you to certify that your tree does not include anyone who is living. Other sites will not show the person in a family tree if they are living, even if they exist on another member’s personal tree. Instead of uploading this material to an online tree, you could possibly keep this information in a separate, secure location/folder or consider only adding living relatives to the software on your personal computer. While living folks can make valuable collaborative partners in genealogical research, they must be respected and protected.

Other Privacy & Security Considerations

In addition to these two important pieces of online privacy, you may want to do the following as well.

1. Read through the privacy policies of the websites, software, and online tools that you use. While these documents may not be the most exciting to read, they are important as you consider how your data is protected and used. You may even have some options for protecting your data if you read closely. You are ultimately responsible for this information.
2. Set strong passwords and use different ones for each site. This will help keep someone from accessing multiple sites and programs if one is compromised. You may also want to consider multi-factor authentication which requires you to use your phone or other device to authenticate your login. Sometimes, a passcode or an added step to log in can also help secure your data.
3. Keep your software current and up to date, as this will usually provide the best security. (This is often a built-in side benefit of the newest software, in addition to new tools and features.)
4. Consider using the built-in messaging capabilities of the genealogy websites, instead of sharing your email. This can give you some protection from potential viruses, malware, and more which can come from links and attachments. You always want to be careful with what you download, open, and save.
5. Use a VPN when you are sharing your information. This virtual private network can secure the data you transmit and prevent others from accessing them. A VPN is particularly helpful if you find that you are often joining open wireless networks.

For more information and other suggestions, check out the “Genealogist’s Guide to Protecting Online Privacy” by Dana McCullough.

Enjoy all the amazing opportunities of online genealogy while remaining informed and aware! It is the best way to stay safe and protected, while benefiting from all the tools of the online world.

Summer is a season full of sunshine, spontaneity, and sweet opportunities for learning. While it’s tempting to think of summer as a break from school routines, it’s also the perfect time to engage young minds in ways that are natural, joyful, and developmentally powerful. That’s where insights from the world-renowned Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) come in! 

At I-LABS, decades of research on early brain development show that everyday interactions — like playing friend bridges, going on a texture hunt, or engaging in water play — can become rich learning moments. This summer, you can tap into that science to spark your child’s curiosity, build essential skills, and strengthen your bond. 

According to I-LABS these thoughtfully designed activities are: 

• Flexible for All Learners: Each activity includes suggestions to modify for different ages, skill levels, or developmental needs—making them inclusive and easy to tailor. 

• Quick and Simple: With minimal setup and everyday household materials, these activities are easy to jump into—no special supplies or prep work required. 

• Encourages Independent Play: Designed to support children’s growth while giving caregivers a moment to recharge, these activities strike the perfect balance between fun and freedom. 

Solvej Balle’s On The Calculation of Volume, Book I is a hard sell, to put it mildly. First, the title sounds like a geometry textbook. Second, it’s a projected seven-book series. Third, it’s translated from its original Danish. You would be forgiven for thinking that I was recommending you a sleep aid. In truth, this speculative novella – a slender 160 pages and International Booker Prize finalist —  is a gorgeous, unexpected, thought-provoking gem.

This is the story of Tara Stelter, a rare book dealer in France, who finds herself caught in a Groundhog Day-style time loop. She goes to bed on November 18th, and wakes up…on November 18th. Nobody else notices. Even her husband believes it’s the first November 18th.

In fact, it’s the one hundred twenty-second November 18th when we meet her.

Desperate to break out of the time loop, Tara tries everything. She tests hypotheses. She learns the quirks and rules of her cyclical world. (The food she eats does not regenerate, so her trips to the grocery store eventually result in empty shelves; she discovers how to keep objects from disappearing overnight.) She explains herself, over and over again, to the people she loves. She searches for patterns, for reasons, for connection. 

She makes an escape plan.

To say more about the plot would spoil the delicately constructed twists and turns, the cliffhangers and subtle surprises that emerge over the first two books in this series. What I can promise is that there’s no technobabble, no Einstein-esque explanation for the time loop. This isn’t a story about time travel. It’s a story about being human in a baffling world. 

How does Tara make sense of the impossible? She loves her husband, but he is static, and she is changing with every single iteration. How does a marriage work when the person you love most is incapable of evolving alongside you? If every day is the same, how do you mark time; how do you give meaning to your days? To your life?

Solvej Balle explores these questions in lush, rhythmic, surprisingly accessible prose. Tara wrestles with her new reality, revisiting ideas, shifting her viewpoint, showing her growth. She’s  attuned to the slightest changes in the world and herself, and by extension, so are we. It’s writing to get lost in. 

Whether you’re a fan of literary fiction or more speculative fare, On The Calculation of Volume is a deceptively small book that asks big questions and lingers in the mind. It’s perfect for fans of Daniel Mason’s North Woods and Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life.