Researching your family tree can be as casual as a porch sitting conversation with your Grandpa or as serious as doing scholarly research or planning a vacation around visiting cemeteries, libraries and local historical societies. This is a guide to help you get started researching your family history from home including links to Indiana and national websites about genealogy.
Upcoming Programs
Beech Grove Lineage Research Workshop - Genealogy
See the schedule
Adults are invited for a free session with representatives from the Samuel Bryan Chapter of the D.A.R. who will provide assistance with genealogy research using Ancestry.com and other online sources. This program will be held in the Library's Technology Room.
Take a Class
Hoopla Great Courses: Discovering Your Roots: An Introduction to Genealogy
Genealogy is a journey of self-discovery that can teach you as much about yourself as about those who came before you. But what holds many of us back from unearthing our family history is uncertainty about how to go about it. Discover which resources you should use and trust, how you should make your way through tangles of public records, and more. There are 15 video episodes that each last about 30 minutes.
Research
A lot of research can be done online. Genealogy--searching online for your ancestors is a nice overview of e-materials you can borrow with your IndyPL library card to learn how to use the internet to research genealogy. Listed below are additional online resources collected by IndyPL staff. They regularly help people navigate their genealogical journey and have recommended these sites as good sources for uncovering facts and details about family history.
Search Ancestry Library Edition
This database is available only at Library locations. (If you are in a library location while following this link you will be able to click on Ancestry Library Edition to open it.)
Ancestry Library Edition gives you access to genealogy, family trees, and family history records via documents that record the lineage of over 4 billion individuals. It includes census, military, immigration, and vital records.
The Library Edition is different from the version a person can buy because it does not have some of the personalization tools such as creating and linking family trees, but you do have access to directories, photos and these two particularly rich sources of information:
Vital records which include birth, marriage, death, will, and probate information.
- Census records which include the names of household members, ages, birthplaces, residence, occupation, and more. There has been a US census every ten years since 1790. There is a 72 year privacy restriction so the most recent census available is the 1940 census.
If you have never used Ancestry Library Edition before, you can watch a video tutorial. Two more helpful tips are how to email, print and save records and this link to blank charts and forms.
Newspaper Obituaries
Obituaries are a common source of historical information about individuals. Find out how IndyPL can help
Newspapers.com World Collection
Historical newspapers archive from the 1690-2023 containing thousands of well-known regional, state, and small local newspapers in the United States and other countries.
Digital Indy
For those wanting to know about Indianapolis history the Digital Indy collection is a treasure trove. It includes digital images and recordings of cultural and historical interest to Indianapolis residents as well as students, researchers and others. There are digital copies of high school yearbooks, local postcards and all kinds of interesting photos and documents. Maybe you can find a relative's picture in the Indianapolis Firefighters Museum Collection.
Hoosier State Chronicles
250+ scanned and searchable newspapers from every county in Indiana, with the earliest starting in 1804.
Indianapolis Star (1903-2004)
A full-text and full-image version of the Indianapolis Star from 1903-1922 including photographs, ads, obituaries, and marriage announcements.
Indianapolis Star (1991 - Present)
A text-only version from the Indianapolis Star back to 1991, including obituaries, but excluding paid advertisements and freelance writers.
Indiana State Library Genealogy Division
Home to one of the major genealogical collections in the Midwest. The site includes a virtual tour, e-mail reference requests, and a list of independent researchers.
Allen County Public Library Genealogy Gateway
Located in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Allen County Public Library houses one of the largest genealogy collection in the United States.
Indiana Genealogical Society
In addition to preserving materials related to the early settlement of Indiana, the Society also aids in the publications of family histories and researches family migration in the state.
Genealogical Society of Marion County
A chapter of the Indiana Genealogical Society, this society maintains a directory of cemeteries in Marion County, and a guide to Marion County church records in their site's Marion County Data section.
Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites
Gateway access to thousands of links arranged by category.
Family Search
Established by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, this site offers access to the largest collection of genealogical data.
U. S. Genealogy Web Project
Categorized by state and county -- one of the best basic sources.
The Society of Indiana Pioneers
Composed of people who are descendants of the early settlers of Indiana.
The National Archives
The National Archives offers resources for genealogists and family historians originating from every branch of the Federal government.
Indiana State Library Cemetery Locator File
Indiana African American Genealogy Group
Promotes the accumulation and preservation of African American genealogical and historical materials.
Need help? Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where can I find collections of actual genealogical resources such as family histories and census records?
Genealogists can find genealogical resources in Indianapolis at the Indiana State Library Genealogy Division. Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne houses the other major collection of genealogy materials in Indiana. These sites are, of course, currently closed, but are excellent resources to note for future visits.
Can I find information online about cemeteries?
Yes. The Indiana State Historical Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD). Once you click on the link, it will take you to a certain section of the State of Indiana website where you can click SHAARD ACCESS and login to the database as a guest. After entering the database as a guest, you can search for cemetery registries and records.
Comprehensive websites such as Cyndi's List include links for cemeteries outside of Indiana.
What kinds of genealogical materials can I find at the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library?
You will find a wide selection of materials covering basic methods of genealogical research and aids to navigating the ever-growing amount of information available to the genealogist. Our Central Library maintains a collection of Indiana county histories and an extensive file of local newspaper clippings that can aid in genealogical research. We look forward to hosting you when we re-open.
Genealogy: get started by using e-Resources
Here are some eBooks, downloadable audio books and streaming videos to help you get started and to inspire you.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy
This user-friendly volume offers readers an opportunity to understand the craft of genealogy, explore their roots, perform online research, and begin to discover their true identities. Includes new information on the release of the 1930 census, the pros and cons of online research, and creating family trees.
Discover your Roots
Dig up your Family History and Other Buried Treasures
52 ways to get to the root of family history. It's one of the most fascinating and popular new pastimes, and now researching family history-from distant ancestors to interesting facts about birthplaces and childhood homes-is easier than ever before.
Genealogy
Tracing your ancestry can be a deeply rewarding and enjoyable endeavor. With the help of this hands-on guide, you'll find out how to start your genealogical research using the latest tools and techniques, including DNA testing.
My Family Branches Like a Wild Tree
I feel like big family reunions and gatherings are kind of like a living "family tree." A lot of circumstances can make family trees and "genealogy day" complicated or even painful, so I've included books that acknowledge some of those situations. No matter how you define family or draw your family tree, I hope you will find echoes of it here
A Family Like Ours
This book is one of the most very inclusive books I've read in terms of the diversity represented, and it's done beautifully, without feeling forced. Within its pages, you'll see large families (a family with 7 kids and a grandma in tow) and small families (a single-parent family with one child); families with a mother and father, families from the LGTBQIA+ community, and families where the grandparent is the caregiver; you'll see caregivers who have adopted, and "found" families of friends. As well as the diversity in family structure, there is also wonderful racial, age, body type, and ability/disability diversity. If you appreciate this effort at diversity, be sure to check out other books by this author/illustrator team (Frank Murphy and Kayla Harren). Also available as an eBook
What A Family!
A Fresh Look at Family Trees
The endpapers of this delightful book show a sprawling, beautiful family tree. The text and illustrations throughout show various family characteristics that pop up (big ears, red hair, dimples, bad eyesight, etc.). I love that various family members have interracial marriages (one person marries a Black person and one marries an Asian person). Hmm, I don't think there are any adoptions in the family, but one person is widowed and marries for a second time and has children by both marriages.
The 1619 Project
Born on the Water
This book is about a Black girl who is supposed to trace her roots and "draw a flag that represents your ancestral land," but since she's a descendant of slaves, she's not sure how to proceed. Honestly, I'm not sure what to say about this one or if I should be the one saying it, so here is a review by Jonathan David Pope, a Black user on Goodreads: “Born on the Water” is a gorgeously illustrated work, that accomplishes the task of retelling and most importantly correcting the American history we are often taught. It’s poetic, heartbreakingly beautiful. And goes to show the resistance and survival of our people who “had a home, a place, a land before they were sold.” My only critique would be the ending: “And because the people survived and because the people fought, America has equality in the law. And because the people survived and because the people fought, American began to live up to its promise of democracy.” I think that this children’s book could have left this as a question…something for it’s readers both children and adults to ponder. Will America ever live up to it’s promise? Will the law ever be truly equal? End quotation. One of my coworkers who is Jewish said that it is also hard for them and many other Jewish families because of the Holocaust, the info for her family tree ends there. I know there are probably similar situations that have arisen from other atrocities. Also available as an eBook