Genealogy Research

A curated list of genealogical resources available at the Rochester Public Library

Updated April 28, 2026
RPL Staff
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https://www.rplmn.org/ancestry
https://www.loc.gov/collections/chronicling-america/

This project provides access to select digitized newspaper pages produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress.

Evidence explained : citing history sources from artifacts to cyberspace
Mills, Elizabeth Shown
Paper Book
History is not just a collection of documents-- and all records are not created equal. To analyze and decide what to believe, we also need certain facts about the records themselves.
Family Tree Problem Solver : Tried-And-True Tactics for Tracing Elusive Ancestors
Rising, Marsha Hoffman
Paper Book
Proven Solutions for Your Research Challenges Has your family history research hit a brick wall?Marsha Hoffman Rising'sbestselling bookThe Family Tree Problem Solverhas the solutions to help you find the answers you seek. Inside you'll find- Work-arounds...
The Family Tree Scandinavian genealogy guide : how to trace your ancestors in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway
Fryxell, David A.
Paper Book
Trace your Swedish, Norwegian, or Danish ancestors! This convenient guide will help you discover your Northern European family history while optimizing your research time. Highlights include:    * Strategies for identifying immigrant Scandinavian...
http://Familysearch.org
Become a part of the best ancestry website community through FamilySearch, and discover how our free Family Trees and records can help you uncover your past.
Genealogy for Beginners
Pennavaria, Katherine
Paper Book
A step-by-step guide to researching your family tree. Interested in doing your family tree but don't know how? Genealogy for Beginners covers everything you need to get started researching your family history or continue a project you've already started....
http://olmstedhistory.com/resources

Search indexes for local obituaries, newspaper articles, photos, weddings, probate records, census information, and military history.

https://www.mnhs.org/search/people

Minnesota birth, death, and state census records, as well as Veterans Graves Registration and WWI Gold Star Rolls.

The researcher's guide to American genealogy
Greenwood, Val D.
Paper Book
In every field of study, there is one book that rises above the rest in stature and authority and becomes the standard work in the field. In genealogy that book is Val Greenwood's "Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy." Arguably the best book ever written on American genealogy, it instructs the...

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