Librarian People Search.com

A people search can be a search for ancestry, which is really a genealogical search. This kind of searching is one of the most popular hobbies for many people, and it can be a passion that leads to years and years of fulfilling research. Recently, I helped someone at the library start a search for ancestry and I saw the pleasure in her eyes when she found about her great grandmother’s family. Performing an ancestor search is great fun; family history can reveal so much about who we as a person in the present.
So, why do people want to know about their ancestors? Actually, the question should be, why wouldn’t anyone want to find out about their ancestors? For many, there is great satisfaction in retracing one’s roots and going back to the forefathers and rediscovering how one’s life really got started. Along the way, the discovery can yield very interesting facts. There type of people search can bring some people a lot of joy and satisfaction, which can be quite an addiction.
What do you need to start a genealogy search or an ancestor search?
The number one thing is desire; desire is everything when it comes to looking up one’s family history. This sort of people search is very different. It is one of those projects that will not be resolved with one trip to the local public library or one search through the records. Rather, it is like a trip through time that will require many stops along the way.
Okay, so you are ready with your desire and enthusiasm. Now, you will need a notebook and something to write with to begin the journey.
Here are some tips to keep in mind as you record your genealogy search information:
1) Write all last names in capital letters. Everyone in your family history should have the names all capitalized. This is a good idea because you will sometime run into the problem down the road of not knowing which is the first name and which is the last name.
2) Record all names, even nicknames and alternate spellings. When you are deep into your ancestor search, sometimes the records will not have the correct spelling, and sometimes the name will have a nickname in the file.
3) When writing dates, make sure to write out the months in your genealogy search. Do not use numbers exclusively. For example, 01/10/1950 can be interpreted as both January and October. If you records bring you back to Europe, those dates will be written differently and that will inevitably lead to confusion after a while. Save yourself the trouble and write out the months. You do not want to confuse your family history information, mixing one date for another.
4) Once you have collected information on your family history, begin to keep track of where and what you found. It may be the case that you will have to go back to a previous source to do further research and you will want to know where you found such information. An ancestor search can take on a life of its own and you will want to know that you can rely on your notes.
5) Keep a pedigree chart of all your information and write down all the people that you have uncovered in your family tree. The following information should go on the chart: date and place of birth, date and place of marriage, and date and place of death.
6) Keep everyone in family groups. It is a good idea to separate families into groups so that you do not get confused as who belongs to what family.