2. Logging In
• The library has a subscription that can be accessed
within the library asking the Reference Librarian for
access.
• Anyone can great a guest account for limited access.
3. What does American
Ancestors have?
• 500+ online databases
• 3,000+ volumes of records
• 125 million+ records (more
are added weekly)
Records Include
• Vital records
• Journals
• Court, Land & Probate
records
• Census, Tax, & Voter lists
• Military records
• Societies & Organizations
• Town Records
• Genealogies, Biographies,
& Local Histories
• Study projects
• Atlases, Maps, &
Reference
4. Viewing the databases
• There are two ways to view the databases.
• One way is to click “All Databases” on the main page.
• The other is to click on the leafy branch. Then click on it
again.
6. Viewing database
information
• When you select a database you can gain more
information about the database and any searching
restrictions or broadening tips that are important.
7. Searching
• The easiest way to get started is by doing a basic search from
the home screen. Searching here or on the Advanced Search
page will not include external databases. All searches ignore
punctuation.
8. Advanced searching – first
row
• Start your search off wide and then get narrower. Unlike other
databases American Ancestors does not add any irrelevant results.
9. Advanced searching –
second row
• If you have a guest account click the “Free Only” to restrict result to
what you have access to.
• When you select a database under the advanced search box you will
get the search tips we saw previously. This is VERY important because
it could give false negatives.
13. Soundex
• Soundex is a phonetic operator that search for a name
based on the way it sounds.
• American Ancestors only has this option for the last
name.
14. Database results
• Use side filters to narrow results.
• SSDI are Social Security Death Index results
• Other AmericanAncestors.org Results include blogs
and more articles.
16. Image viewer
• On the bottom left you can choose between three
different viewers. You may need to download the first
from Microsoft.
• On the bottom right you can save, print, rotate, zoom,
expand to full screen and return to the default view.
To save an
image I
recommend
going to print,
then choosing
PDF. This way
you can save
the image in
PDF format
instead of as an
image.
17. Image translation
• Below the image you can see some information from the
document typed out. This is the information that is
searchable in the advanced search fields, not everything
that is in the document.
18. Citations
• At the very bottom of the screen there is citation
information. Write this information on the back of the
printed document.
24. Questions?
• Please feel free to contact me with any questions or
feedback.
Cindy Grove
Reference Librarian
Tewksbury Public Library
978-640-4490 ext.207
cgrove@mvlc.org
Notas do Editor
Originally known as New England Ancestors they are have been expanding the areas represented.
