Most people are interested in their family’s history. What if you could use this time to find out more about your family and your ancestry? Your New Castle-Henry County Public Library has resources available to help!
Heritage Quest is one of the largest genealogy databases in the country and includes access to census data and the ability to perform advanced searches. It is loaded with books under “Place Histories” and “People Histories.” You will need your library card to access this information but it can be accessed from home. The library has a helpful tutorial you can watch to learn more.
Free and accessible from home, FamilySearch gives you the opportunity to discover your family history with records spanning billions of names across hundreds of collections. This program has about the same sources as Ancestry and works in the same way. It includes an efficient Site Map and help is available on “Get and Give Help” , including a Research Wiki, and Research Help. There is also access to digitized books and other records that have not yet been indexed. You are able to build your family tree on this site. If you are a paper person the site has lots of charts and forms. The library has a helpful tutorial you can watch to learn more..
American Ancestors supported by The New England Historic Genealogical Society allows you to explore a wealth of resources and research tools from the nation’s oldest genealogical organization. Establish a new account or use guest access to find information on this site.
Interested in local history? The library also provides access to over 46 thousand entries from Henry County newspapers which are available as a searchable index of digital images. The papers up until 1928 have been indexed and a random selection of more recent years, You can also search the Indiana Magazine of History, one of the nation’s oldest historical journals.
Need to ask a question? Our reference staff is available to help you answer questions by phone from 2-5 pm Monday through Friday. You can also send an email to our genealogist: kathiew@nchcpl.org.
“There’s never been a better time to explore your family history,” noted Janet Twigg, Reference Librarian. “Not only are there many online resources available, you can also connect with some of your older relatives in the search by talking with them on the phone or sending letters with questions.”
Don’t have a library card to access genealogy material? You can get a temporary digital card here: https://evergreen.lib.in.us/eg/opac/register Enter “New Castle-Henry County PL–New Castle” as your home library. A staff member will be in contact with you.
