Listen Up All You Genealogy Buffs

Are you interested in learning more about the subject of genealogy but don't feel like reading for hours? Perhaps you'd enjoy an audio program on the subject. There are several places on the Web where you can find these types of programs more commonly referred to as "genealogy podcasts."

Here are a couple of popular ones you'll want to put on your must-listen to list:

• DearMYRTLE'S Family History Hour

• The Genealogy Guys Podcast

Thanks to these Web sites, you can learn more about genealogy by listening too! Got a favorite genealogy podcast that you listen to? Tell us about it in the comments section!

A Ton Of Resources At Olive Tree Genealogy

What remarkable times these are for researching your family tree on the Web. There are some top-notch genealogy resources online if you know where to find them. Luckily here at The Senior Surfer, you can find links to several of these online destinations under Notable Genealogy Sites.

Today, we're adding another great site to that growing list-a site called Olive Tree Genealogy. Here are a few of the reasons why it should be considered a notable genealogy Web site:

• It offers a handy 10 step guide for beginners in genealogy research


• You'll find more than 1,900 pages of genealogy records


• Plenty of useful genealogy guides and tutorials

Started by former teacher Lorine McGinnis Schulze, and on the Web since 1996, this is one powerhouse of online genealogy research you must see!

A Playground On The Web For Armchair Historians

Imagine being able to view important original historical documents like The Declaration of Independence or The Gettysburg Address-all from the comfort of your home? Today with nothing more than a computer and an Internet connection, it's possible to do just that when you visit a site like Footnote.com.

Billed as, "a place where original historical documents are combined with social networking," Footnote.com not only allows you to view original source documents online-they also let you make annotations, add comments and share opinions with other armchair historians.

Most of the historical documents accessible at Footnote.com require a fee to view, but a select few are made available online for free including:

• The Declaration of Independence
• The Constitution and Amendments
• The Gettysburg Address
• George Washington Correspondence

This is a must-see site for history buffs, if there ever was one!

An Online Toolkit For Genealogy Researchers

Looking for a useful genealogy site loaded with the tools to make researching your family tree a breeze? Look no further than Ancestor Search. Billing itself as an "interactive directory of the best free genealogy search engines," Ancestor Search has been a helpful genealogy aid on the Web since 1997.

Some of the highlights of the site include:

• Custom genealogy search engines
• Helpful tips on how to use Google in your genealogy research
• Links to some of the best genealogy freebies on the Web

Serious about using the Web to research your family tree? Ancestor Search is like a handy online toolkit you'll reach for again and again.

Take A Free Online Genealogy Class At About.com

Sometimes the easiest way to get involved in a new activity or hobby is to take a class. If you've always thought about getting into genealogy but are not sure how to start, you should consider taking About.com's free online genealogy class created especially for beginners. This 4 lesson course is self paced and taught by Kimberly Powell, About.com's guide to genealogy.

Here are just some of the genealogy topics covered in the course:

• An overview of the basics of Genealogy Research
• How to record names, places and events in genealogical charts
• What questions to ask when conducting your research
• How to get your hands on birth, marriage and other vital records

And a whole lot more. There's even a quiz at the end of every lesson. Your first step on the road to tracing your family tree could be this free class!

RootsWeb.com: A Genealogist's Goldmine

Have you visited RootsWeb.com yet? If you're looking to shift your genealogy research into high gear you'll want to put this website on your must-see list. Billed as, "the oldest and largest FREE genealogy site" they offer so many tools for assisting you in your family history research, it's hard to believe it comes free of cost.

These are just some of the notable resources you'll find there:

• The RootsWeb's Guide To Tracing Family Trees
• A searchable database of surnames with over one million entries
• Over thirty thousand genealogical mailing lists
• Tons of genealogy related message boards

And much more! Whatever your level of interest in genealogy research is, this is one site that's sure to please!

The USGenWeb Project: Free Genealogy Resources For All

Interested in conducting genealogy research online but don't want to pay those hefty subscription fees associated with some of the more popular commercial sites? You should visit The USGenWeb Project, a collection of free genealogy resources that won't cost you an arm and a leg.

Run by volunteers, The USGenWeb Project is your gateway to thousands of genealogy websites organized by county and state. For the past ten years or so the volunteers have been painstakingly collecting, organizing and uploading to the Web an impressive amount of genealogical data that may be helpful to you when researching your family history.

The resources you'll be able to access through these websites include:

• Helpful research tips
• Genealogy message boards
• Newspaper transcriptions
• Links to relevant genealogy sites on the Web

And much more. Best of all, all of these resources are available to you for free! Good luck with your research!

Genealogy Resources From The National Archives

Want to get serious about genealogy research? Check out the Genealogists and Family Historians Page on the website of The National Archives and Records Administration.

The wealth of genealogy-related information you'll find there includes advice on how to begin researching your family history, as well as guidelines on using the following records from the National Archives:

• Census Records
• Military Records
• Immigration Records
• Naturalization Records
• Land Records

Though most of the records listed above are not available on the website itself-you'll have to visit the National Archives in person to do that-you'll nonetheless find the tips on how to research them, indispensable once you do make your visit.

How Many Of Your Relatives Came Through Ellis Island?

Between 1892 and 1954, Ellis Island was the first stop for millions of immigrants seeking a better life in the new country. Chances are many of your relatives came to The United States through this historic landmark. Now you can conduct a free search for their names among the Ellis Island/Port of New York Records at Ellisisland.org.

The website of The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Ellisisland.org includes a whopping 25 million records for you to sift through. When you sign up for a free registration you'll gain access to passenger records and be allowed to view images of original ship manifests. The site also offers a wealth of historical information about Ellis Island, including a timeline and archival photographs. There's even a Genealogy Learning Center complete with free forms for recording your family history!

Whether you're interested in serious genealogical research or just looking to pique your curiosity, Ellisisland.org will grab your fancy!

A Comprehensive Directory of Genealogy Sites

If you're interested in tracing your family tree but are not sure where to start, you'll want to head over to Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet. This cross-referenced list of thousands of genealogy related sites (a whopping 252,000 + as of this writing) is an excellent starting point for researching your family history online. Cyndi offers plenty of links for beginners who are new to genealogy research and even a tutorial on how to set up your very own genealogy homepage! (Look under the, "Frequently Asked Questions" section on the left-hand column of the main page)

On the web for more than a decade, Cyndi's List has been the recipient of numerous awards and has been mentioned often in the popular press. You'll definitely want to bookmark this one!