Here are some suggestions on how to start researching your family history:

• Start with yourself: start with what you know and work your way backward. Find out the vital information (birth, marriage, death, and burial) information on your parents or grandparents.
• Keep track of your information: record names, dates, places, relationships, and sources of your information.
• Look at home: look for information in birth and death certificates, family bibles, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, letters, diaries, military discharge papers, baby books, information on the backs of pictures, etc.
• Talk to your relatives: write, visit, call, or e-mail family members who may be able to help you fill in the blanks in your research.
• Read a book: look at what the library has to offer. We have books and e-books on how to do family history research and books on specific groups of people who have come to the United States.
• Use the Internet: there are many useful genealogy websites and services on the internet. There are also a lot of disreputable sites. On the Web Resources section of this page, we have included a few that might be useful in your search.