Research at home

With the availability of abstracts, transcriptions, indexes -- and even digital copies of records online -- it's possible to do some of your resarch right in your home. Online library catalogs allow you to plan your next library visit, and online forums help you to exchange information with others. Some of the most popular Web sites for genealogists include:

• Ancestry.com, through paid subscriptions, offers access to hundreds of genealogical databases.
• Cyndislist.com is the largest collection of links to genealogy sites on the Web, featuring more than 240,000 links.
• FamilySearch.org is the Web site of the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• RootsWeb.com is the largest and oldest free genealogy site on the Web.

Web sites specific to Michigan are described throughout this site.

While researching at home, don't forget to use a traditional mode of correspondence -- writing letters to relatives, courthouse clerks, and others -- to seek answers to your questions.