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Search family roots at library

If you have ever watched the NBC reality TV show “Who Do You Think You Are?” you may be curious about tracking down your personal family history. If you aren’t familiar with the show, we have the first season on DVD.

At the Bedford Public Library, we offer genealogy resources that can help you get started tracing your family tree. Ancestry Library Edition is a database with access to census records, immigration lists, vital statistics and military records. It is only available at the library. HeritageQuest Online is another database of census records with an index to historical and genealogical publications, including “The History of Bedford, New Hampshire.” HeritageQuest is available with online remote access. To try it out, go to the library website at www.bedford.lib.nh.us and choose “Databases by Subject.” You will find the list of genealogy and biography databases offered through the library. To access HeritageQuest and any of our databases with remote access, your library barcode and password (or PIN) is required.

In addition, we have numerous books on genealogy research, such as “Beginning Genealogy” by Jim Ollhoff, “Family History Detective: A Step-by-Step Guide to Investigating Your Family History” by Desmond Walls Allen, and a children’s book called “Basic Genealogy for Kids” by Bonnie Hinman.

Did you know that April is an exciting month for genealogists? On April 2, the 1940 Census was released by the National Archives and Records Administration. Free online access is available at www.1940census.archives.gov. However, there is no name index as of yet. You can locate people by identifying the enumeration district in which they lived in 1940. There are enumeration district maps on the website to help.

We plan to offer programs at the library on genealogy research, so keep an eye on the Library Happenings Calendar of Events.

Stars trace their family roots, so why can’t you? It’s fascinating to research your family tree. Who knows what secrets and surprises you may uncover? The Bedford Public Library is a great place to start your family search.