Discover Your Roots

Ancestry Library Edition


Ancestry (Library Edition) is only available in the library. 
There is no remote access to this database. 

Ancestry: Library Edition (in library use only link)

Search thousands of databases of genealogical and historical information, including historical records, family trees, newspaper stories, photos and maps. Provided by the Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County.

Helpful Documents


🌳  Getting Started with Genealogy
🌳 Using the Pedigree (Ancestral) Chart
🌳 Using the Family Group Record
🌳 Sources of Clues
🌳 Sample Oral Interview Questions

Helpful Links 


🌳  Ancestry Academy - Includes several free video tutorials on how to use Ancestry.com and other research tools.

🌳  Ancestry Templates - Downloadable PDFs for recording your research

🌳  Family Tree Information from Ancestry.com 

🌳  Family Search - Requires a user profile to get started, but it is a FREE resource run by the LDS Church and has additional records that Ancestry.com may not have. There is also a local branch in Monterey. 

🌳  The Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County (GSSCC) - our local and very helpful group of genealogists. 

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Many thanks to our program partner Gail Burk for developing and sharing these materials with the Watsonville Public Library. Gail is a long-time member of the Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County and has served in a number of Board positions, including President. Currently, she is a volunteer staffer for the Society. She has delivered a variety of programs over the years and has also given presentations at the Society’s genealogy seminars. Gail graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she majored in Art, and minored in History. She has been an active genealogist for more than 41 years.