Tools Online for Genealogists
by Barbara Renick
©2009Barb@ZRoots.com
TOOLS for Finding TOOLS
Types of Tools on the Internet
Language: Dictionaries, thesauri, word lists, translations
Google keyword search: define provenance (and Google translate links in results lists)
FreeDictionary (see Also Found In feature and Pronunciation audio files)
OneLook Dictionary (finds definitions, translations from multiple dictionaries, reverse dictionary search, and specialty dictionaries like Bouvier's Law Dictionary 1856 ed.)
YourDictionary.com (has a thesaurus, audio pronunciations, wild card searches, and links to language and translation tools)
AlphaDictionary.com (1065 online English dictionaries, slang words, folk etymology, Miss Spellings's Spelling Center)
BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy (Script Tutorials)
Time: Date, time, calendar information
RefDesk > Calendars: Time and Date Resources
CalendarHome.com: The 10,000-Year Calendar
FamilySearch Research Wiki (do location and topic searches)
Geographic: Demographics, gazeteers, maps, migration routes
U.S. Surname Distribution at Hamrick.com
Bureau of Land Management: General Land Office Records
Arphax Publishers (great county map books and free surname search)
U.S.G.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
JewishGen ShtetlSeeker database with 600,000 locations in Central and Eastern Europe
Expedia.com > Maps
History: Military, cultural, social, regional, ethnic, religious
Cyndi's List: Religion and Churches
FamilySearch: Browse Categories
FamilySearch Research Wiki (do location and topic searches)
Tennessee Local History Network and American Local History Network
Wikipedia (particularly strong in historical background for locations worldwide)
WorldHistory (allows users to create a biography timeline map and add your ancestors; also interactive maps, timelines, videos, geocoded photos, and museum artifacts)
Help & Educational: Online classes, essays, tutorials, free advice
Orange [CA] Regional Family History Center (free class schedule)
Genealogy.com's Learning Center
Ancestry.com's Learning Center
YouTube (example: Searching Online Newspapers with LexisNexis)
FamilySearch > Library > Education > Family History Library Research Series Online
Ask a Librarian (almost all states, university libraries, and the Library of Congress)
Utility: Free file storage sites, software download sites, online maintenance
Blogger utility site to set up a blog
Typepad utility site to set up a blog
Tucows best known site for downloading utility programs
Microsoft Office Clipart and Media
WayBack Machine at Archive.org
Mozy.com (home version provides unlimited automated backup for just $4.95 per month)
Zoho.com (free office suite and wide variety of other tools online)
Locators: Rare and out-of-print books, maps, auctions, libraries and archives, catalogs
Cyndi's List: Books (then see the Used Books, Rare Books, & Book Search Services)
Barbara Renick's "Locating Living People" syllabus pages online at ZRoots.com
Barbara Renick's "Finding Your Ancestor in Un-indexed Books" syllabus pages
Travel: Plane, train, bus, auto, accommodations, discounts, medical alerts
