Normally, Ancestry.com is only available for in-library use only; however, access to this resource has been temporarily expanded to library cardholders working remotely, courtesy of ProQuest and its partner, Ancestry. This service is now available through June 30th!
After clicking here to get started, users will be redirected to a new page.
Users will need to type in their library card number and pin number. If you don’t have a PIN (or forgot it), get a new PIN number through the online catalog by clicking Log In or Register. Then click, I Forgot or want to change my PIN.
The library edition of Ancestry has full access. The only thing users won’t be able to do is edit Public Member Trees. (Users can still take a look at trees, but not able to add information!)
If you need help getting started with this great resource, there are great tools on Ancestry’s website.
- Top 10 Search Tips
- Follow Your Family Using Census Records
- Tips for Success: Military Records
- 10 Things to Know about Passenger Lists
- And more tips found on the Ancestry Learning Center page.
Genealogical research can be overwhelming, but a few tips to keep in mind:
- Start your search at home. Any exact date of births on birth certificates may help you get started!
- Keep track of what you searched for… and keep track of your successful searches!
- Try multiple spellings of names (both first and last).
- Search by women’s maiden AND married names. They could be listed in different ways depending of the record.
- Borders of countries have changed over time, so don’t just search by specific countries!
- Military records, specifically enlistment records, are fascinating (maybe it’s just a personal favorite), but they can contain physical descriptions of individuals, beneficiaries and more!
Happy searching!
[Thanks to Allegheny County Digital Resources Committee member Pam @ Bridgeville Public Library for this update!]
