Text-Only Site Map

Click for Brighton weather details

Genealogy - Beginning Your Search

Beginning Your Search | General Genealogical Resources | Livingston County Genealogical Resources | Obituary Index | Internet Links

Books

Check the library catalog or use the list of resources provided in the Brighton Room for a how-to book on family history research.Check in genealogy books for bibliographies of other books of interest on specific topics. Interloan books from other libraries that our library does not own.

Charts

Use pedigree and family group sheet forms or genealogy software program to record known information on your family.

Family Members

Talk to family members to fill in additional information on the family including names, dates and places. Don't forget stories and photographs.

Census Records

Look for ancestors records in locale in which they lived. Microfilm for census records can be interloaned through the library. Check at the reference desk.

Vital Records

Request or write for vital records (birth, death and marriage) found in state health departments and city, town or county clerk offices where the event occurred. Use International Vital Records by Tom Kemp (Ref 929) for addresses and telephone numbers of offices or use the internet at www.vitalrec.com.

Obituaries

Contact the public library where the death occurred to determine if obituary is available on microfilm or hard copy. Most public libraries will send a copy, if available, for a small fee. To find the library address, use the American Library Directory, found at the reference desk or use the internet. For Brighton area, check the library's obituary index from the Brighton Argus for deaths 1975 current.

Ancestry.com

Use the extensive web site available at the library to search for names of ancestors.

Internet

Use the internet to find information on your family or use surname search sites to contact others also researching the family. Use internet phone directories to search for possible family members. Go to Brighton Room web site for internet links at http://brighton.lib.mi.us.

Join

Join the local genealogical society and societies where you are researching.

Write

Write letters to others of the same surname. Write for documents in vital records offices and courts. Write to other distant family members and record their family's information on charts or software program.

Brighton District Library

See Marge Wilcox of the Livingston County Genealogical Society for beginning or advanced assistance at regularly scheduled genealogy help sessions twice a month in the Brighton Room. Check at the reference desk or Brighton Room for schedule.

Library of Michigan

Check the library web site at http://libofmich.mi.us to use the library's catalog for books and other materials available. The library has the complete U.S. Federal Census 1790 - 1920 on microfilm.

LDS Library

Check family history resources at the Family History Center at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) in your community. The Brighton District Library are hosting indexes to their collection online.

Gloria Osborne is the librarian in charge of the Brighton Room collection. Feel free to contact her with specific questions about the scope of the collection and using the resources. She may be contacted by phone at 810-229-6571, ext 217 or by e-mail at gosborne@brightonlibrary.info.