Online Resources
Ancestry
Online Resources > Ancestry
The Orange County Library System provides access to both Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest Online. These powerful online genealogy databases contain a wealth of information and make preliminary searching very easy. Ancestry Library Edition can only be accessed from an Orange County Library location; however you may access HeritageQuest Online from your home or office computer if you have an Orange County Library System resident or fee card in good standing.
Ancestry Library Edition can be used to search through census, immigration, passenger lists, military records, the Social Security Death Index, and Canadian and UK census records. From their home page you can search all Ancestry's databases for the names of your ancestors, or you can limit the search to a particular type of record source, such as the census. This database is continuing to grow and is the most important online tool we have for searching U.S. genealogy records.
For further assistance in using this database, please view Ancestry's tips for getting started and how to search.
Gale Genealogy Connect
Online Resources > Gale Genealogy Connect
Gale Genealogy Connect includes over 500 reference e-books on genealogy related topics such as Royal and Noble, Immigration, Native American, Colonial, and Revolutionary.
Gale Genealogy Connect also features:
- An engaging user interface with instant translation into 38 languages
- User-focused navigation and organization
- Unlimited simultaneous 24/7 access
- Seamless cross-searching across Gale Genealogy Connect collections
- More than 1,500 authoritative resources from Genealogical.com and Clearfield
- Ability to print, save or e-mail articles
- Multi-page viewing recreating the book experience
HeritageQuest Online
Online Resources > HeritageQuest Online
In addition to some of the same record searches Ancestry offers, HeritageQuest Online has a vast number of digitized books that can be used to search for family names. It also has an electronic index to articles from the many genealogical publications we subscribe to in the Orange County Library System Special Collections. HeritageQuest Online also has the digitized images of Revolutionary War soldiers' enrollment cards and the Freedman's Savings and Trust signatures.
HeritageQuest Online has a feature called "Notebook." This feature allows you to keep track of records you are interested in as you search the database. You can also take notes on what you find. You have the ability to e-mail, download, and use advanced print options through the Notebook feature.
Additional information on how to search the census and genealogy books available through HeritageQuest Online can be found in the following guides:
- Searching the Census
- Searching Books
- Cyndi's List: Provides links to many genealogy databases, including resources for searches outside the U.S.
- Ellis Island Records: Information on immigrants arriving at that Port of Entry.
- Family Search: The Latter-day Saints database, the largest library of its kind.
- Roots Web: Contains an extensive message board that can be filtered by state and county.
- USGenWeb: Organized by county and state and provides links to genealogy sites
- Vital Records: The best and most current access to state vital records office information and sites
HeritageQuest Online
Online Resources > Websites
In addition to these two online databases, there are noteworthy genealogy websites you should explore. A full listing of OCLS recommended genealogy websites can be found in the Genealogy Section of NetLinks.
In particular, the following websites are worth a visit: