Illuminate Your Past

Ancestry and genealogy explore the story of how people are connected across generations, weaving together family lines through historical records, DNA evidence, and shared cultural roots. By tracing family history, individuals uncover where their ancestors lived, the traditions they carried, and the migrations that shaped their identity. Modern tools—from archival documents to genetic testing—make it easier than ever to piece together these narratives, turning names and dates into a richer understanding of personal heritage.

Updated June 20, 2026
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Fond du Lac Public Library
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I am nobody's slave : how uncovering my family's history set me free
Hawkins, Lee
Paper Book
"Harrowing and insightful. . . . A profound work about the Black experience and white oppression."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "This work is vitally important and essential to understanding the magnitude of the impact of racism and violence."--Library Journal...

305.3889 Hawkins 2024

The essential questions : interview your family to uncover stories and bridge generations
Keating, Elizabeth Lillian
Paper Book
Uncover new sides of family members you've known your entire life with this indispensable guide that includes space for journaling. Just as the oral histories of people around the world are disappearing amid rapid change, there is a risk that your family's personal stories, too,...

907.2 Keating 2022

The family tree guide to DNA testing and genetic genealogy
Bettinger, Blaine T.
Paper Book
Unlock the family secrets in your DNA! Discover the answers to your family history mysteries using the most cutting edge tool available. This plain-English guide (newly updated and expanded to include th latest DNA developments) will teach you what DNA tests are available; the...

929.1 Bettinger 2019

Genealogy standards
Paper Book
How do family historians know they are producing or receiving trustworthy results? This official manual from the Board of Certification for Genealogists, essentially a users' guide for family historians, provides standards for genealogical researchers to assess their own and others' work. The...

929.1 Board 2019

Finding your family tree : a beginner's guide to researching your genealogy
Morgan, Sharon Leslie
Paper Book
Embarking on a quest to uncover your ancestry? Finding Your Family Tree is the perfect genealogy guide to have at your side, with special research techniques for underrepresented groups.

929.1 Morgan, Sharon 2023

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....

929.1 Pennavaria 2020

Practical genealogy : 50 simple steps to research your diverse family history
Sheffey, Brian
Paper Book
Uncover facts and mysteries of your ancestors-a clear approach to genealogy The pursuit of family history tends to be shaped by several motives, including finding a larger familial historical picture, preserving the past for future generations, and storytelling. Practical Genealogy<...

929.1 Sheffey 2020

Generation by generation : a modern approach to the basics of genealogy
Smith, Drew
Paper Book
This guide is organized according to the actual process used in genealogical research: Start with yourself, then move on to living family and relatives, and then move backwards in time, generation by generation. Each chapter describes a time period and the kinds of records available for that era,...

929.1 Smith, Drew 2023

Unofficial guide to Ancestry.com : how to find your family history on the #1 genealogy website
Hendrickson, Nancy
Paper Book
Master the world's #1 Genealogy Website Discover the secrets to Ancestry.com success! This book, newly revised and expanded, will help you get the most out of your Ancestry.com subscription. Inside, you'll discover how to take advantage of what the world's biggest genealogy...

929.1028 Hendrickson 2018

Sharing your family history online : a guide for family historians
Paton, Chris
Paper Book
For many enthusiasts pursuing their family history research, the online world offers a seemingly endless archive of digitized materials to help us answer the questions posed by our ancestors. In addition to hosting records, however, the internet also offers a unique platform on which we can host our...

929.1028 Paton 2021

DNA for Native American genealogy
Estes, Roberta
Paper Book
This work is the first book to offer detailed information and advice specifically aimed at family historians interested in fleshing out their Native American family tree through DNA testing. Included are step-by-step instructions, with illustrations, on how to use DNA testing at the four major DNA...

929.1072 Estes 2021

The 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's bestselling book The Family Tree Problem Solver has the solutions to help you find the answers you seek.   Inside...

929.1072 Rising 2019

Benjamin Banneker and us : eleven generations of an American family
Webster, Rachel J.
Paper Book
Named a Best Book of the Year by The New Yorker A New York Times Editors' Choice "[Webster's] excellent and thought-provoking book is on every level about unknowing rather than knowing -- about pondering the mysteries of Banneker, who is often...

929.2 Banneker Webster 2023

Tracing your Irish ancestors
Grenham, John
Paper Book

929.2 Grenham 2019

Tracing your Irish ancestors through land records : a guide for family historians
Paton, Chris
Paper Book
The history of Ireland is one that was long dominated by the question of land ownership, with complex and often distressing tales over the centuries of dispossession and colonization, religious tensions, absentee landlordism, subsistence farming, and considerably more to sadden the heart. Yet with...

929.2094 Paton 2023

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 ancestors, plus how to trace...

929.3481 Fryxell 2019

How to find your family history in U.S. church records : a genealogist's guide
Morton, Sunny Jane
Paper Book
It is not always an easy task to track down U.S. church records. This book takes researchers step-by-step through the process of identifying, locating, and gaining access to these genealogical gems. Included in this unique, peer-reviewed book are hundreds of links to church research resources, as...

929.373 Morton 2019

The stained glass window : a family history as the American story, 1790-1958
Lewis, David Levering
Paper Book
A Top 100 Book by the Schomburg Library "At once narrative history, family chronicle and personal memoir... [a] luminous work of investigation and introspection." -Wall Street Journal National Humanities Medal recipient and two-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize...

975.0049 Lewis 2025


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