Sunday, December 9, 2012

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 50

Week 50: Genealogy Database. Which individual database has been most helpful in your genealogy research and why? Is this database available for free or is it behind a subscription wall? What does this database include and how can it benefit other genealogy researchers?

Until recently, I would have to admit that Ancestry with its census record would have to qualify as the most useful.  FamilySearch has added so much now, and unlike Ancestry, provides the data free of charge.   I honestly couldn't do without either of them.  Both sites have such a wide range of materials and are made of such divergent databases, that something is there for nearly everyone.  The online opportunities for research have expanded so much in the last ten years, I don't believe anyone could limit their research to a single database.