Researching your family history is a fulfilling hobby, a labor of love, a tribute to your ancestry, and a gift to your descendants. It can also be a very challenging project. Use the resources in this section as a pathfinder to guide your quest.
Skokie Public Library has subscriptions to two premier genealogy databases: Ancestry Library Edition, available only inside Skokie Public Library, and HeritageQuest Online, which is available at the Library and from home for Skokie Public Library cardholders. Both contain huge collections of research materials for tracing your family history.
The Skokie Obituary Index is a specialized database created by librarians at Skokie Public Library and is especially useful for local genealogical research.
Web resource 
Available with Skokie Public Library card 
Available in Library only
Getting Started
If you're new to researching your family history, use these sites to help you get started.
About.com: Genealogy
This guide to Internet genealogy from an expert guide at About.com and highlights key Internet sites covering topics such as searching cemetery and census records and beginning a genealogical search.
Genealogy
"How-To" Guide from Genealogy.com
This site provides a selection of articles covering beginning genealogy topics such as finding information at home, recording oral histories, determining the accuracy of your information, staying organized, and much more.
How to Start Your Family History from FamilySearch.org
This Mormon website offers a six-step guide to starting genealogical research. Forms for pedigree charts and family records are available on the site.
Genealogy Super Sites
Super sites offer multiple features for new and experienced genealogists. Expect to find census records, marriage, birth, and death records, passenger lists, and a wealth of other material.
Ancestry Library Edition
This subscription service of the Ancestry.com website provides complete access to hundreds of online genealogical databases including census and military records, birth and marriage records, immigration information, and much more.
Cyndi's List of
Genealogy Sites on the Internet
This detailed list of over 83,000 genealogy websites is categorized and cross-indexed.
FamilySearch Internet
Genealogy Service
This website searches and provides family records from the Mormon databases.
FamilyTreeMaker Online
This site contains a useful Web directory of online genealogy resources along and various guides to genealogy research.
HeritageQuest Online from ProQuest
HeritageQuest Online contains census data, family records, and local histories. This collection assembles extant U.S. federal censuses, family genealogies, tax lists, city directories, land and probate records, birth, marriage, and death records, genealogical and local history serials, and more. A listing of all the publications in HeritageQuest’s Genealogy and Local History collection for Illinois is also available.
USGenWeb Project
This volunteer project is designed to provide free access to Internet websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States.
WorldGenWeb Project
This non-profit website is powered by a worldwide network of volunteer websites to provide world genealogical information by country. Available information includes local resource addresses of county/country public records offices, cemetery locations, maps, library addresses, archive addresses, and more.
Area Genealogical Research Centers
Not all genealogical information is available online. These area libraries have extensive genealogical collections.
Arlington Heights Memorial Library - Genealogy
The Arlington Heights Memorial Library maintains a large genealogy and local history collection in both print and microforms. The Kathrine Shackley Room for Local History & Genealogy, located on the second level, is staffed by volunteers to assist patrons with family research.
Family History Center
This library is a branch of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. All Family History Centers provide access to most of the millions of microfilms and microfiche in the Family History Library in order to help patrons pursue genealogical research. Everyone is welcome to use the resources of the Family History Centers.
2727 Lake AvenueWilmette, Illinois 60091
847.251.9818 phone
Hours:
Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00am to 3:00pm, 6:30 to 9:30pm
Saturday from 9:00am to 1:00pm
Genealogy and Local History at Winnetka Public Library
The Katharine Greeley Genealogical Collection at Winnetka Public Library
includes manuscripts, magazines, microfilm, microfiche, CD-ROMs and computer
databases. The collection contains information primarily about states from
the Atlantic to the west bank of the Mississippi River, but also contains
information from other areas.
Hours:
Monday through Saturday
from 9:15am to 12:00pm, 1:15 to 4:00pm
Sundays (September
through May) from 1:15 to
4:00pm
The Newberry Library
The Newberry Library has the most extensive genealogical collection in the area, especially for pre-twentieth century sources. The Newberry's genealogical collections contain military records, local histories, state historical and genealogical journals, as well as an extensive collection of published genealogies.
U.S. National Archives & Records Administration - Great Lakes Region
The NARA Great Lakes Region holds a large collection of microfilm including census records, some passenger arrival records, and a naturalization index covering parts of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
Skokie Public Library Genealogical Resources
This is a listing of some of the genealogical resources available from Skokie Public Library. Please search our catalog or contact the Information Services Desk for more information about print material.
Ancestry Library Edition
This subscription service of the Ancestry.com website provides complete access to hundreds of online genealogical databases including census and military records, birth and marriage records, immigration information, and much more.
Chicago Tribune – 1849 to the present via ProQuest
Search the complete text of the Chicago Tribune from 1849 to the present day. Content from 1849 through 1987 is available as images of the original newspaper so photographs, death notices, cartoons, and advertisements are present and searchable along with article content. Text versions of articles and obituaries only are available from 1987 to the present.
HeritageQuest Online from ProQuest
HeritageQuest Online contains census data, family records, and local histories. This collection assembles extant U.S. federal censuses, family genealogies, tax lists, city directories, land and probate records, birth, marriage, and death records, genealogical and local history serials, and more. A listing of all the publications in HeritageQuest’s Genealogy and Local History collection for Illinois is also available.
Jewish Genealogy Resources at Skokie Public
Library
Skokie, Illinois is home to a significant Jewish population. This selected list of books, periodicals, and other materials available at Skokie Public Library has been compiled for those in Skokie, and elsewhere, interested in researching their Jewish genealogy.
Skokie Newspaper Index
The Skokie Public Library newspaper index contains citations to articles which appeared in the Skokie Review (from 1984 to the present), The News (from 1978 to 1984, when it ceased publication), and Life: Skokie edition (from 1978 to October 2004, when it ceased publication). When the full text of an article appears on the newspaper's website, a link is provided from the index to the article. You can also view the full text of indexed articles by consulting back issues of the newspapers found on microfilm in the Library. A card file housed in the Library's reference department contains citations to articles which appeared in Skokie newspapers between 1960 and 1977.
More information about the Skokie Newspaper Index is available online.
Skokie Obituary Index
Skokie Public Library maintains an index to obituaries which appeared in Skokie newspapers from 1963 to the present. Obituaries have been indexed from The News (1963 through 1984), Skokie Review (1981 to the present) and Life: Skokie edition (1981 to October 2004). Obituaries are searchable by name, or browsable by name or date.
More information about the Skokie Newspaper Index is available online.
Who's Who on the Web from Marquis
Marquis Who’s Who on the Web features comprehensive profiles on over one million of the most accomplished individuals from all fields of endeavor. Search by name, gender, occupation, geography, hobbies and interests, religion, and much more. This database provides access to current biographies of all individuals who have appeared in Marquis Who's Who print titles since 1985. An online segment called "Who’s Who in American History" includes biographies from the Who Was Who in America volumes covering 1607-1985. Searches may be conducted combining up to fifteen criteria to create targeted lists of results.
Vital Records and Obituaries
These websites can help you find birth, death, and marriage records, obituaries, and passenger lists.
View a brief (4 minute) screencast demonstration on how to locate an obituary using Library resources.
American Family
Immigration History Center: Ellis Island On-Line
Search a database of passenger lists for more than twenty-two million immigrants, passengers, and crew member that came through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924.
Chicago Tribune – 1849 to the present via ProQuest
Search the complete text of the Chicago Tribune from 1849 to the present day. Content from 1849 through 1987 is available as images of the original newspaper so photographs, death notices, cartoons, and advertisements are present and searchable along with article content. Text versions of articles and obituaries only are available from 1987 to the present.
Find A Grave
This user-supported database features burial records for cemeteries across the United States and a directory of United States cemeteries.
Genealogy in Cook
County, Illinois
Use this website if you are searching for Chicago census records. There are maps of the city of Chicago for 1870, 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 including boundary descriptions for wards, townships, and enumeration districts.
Genealogy
Online: Historical Cook County, Illinois Vital Records
Search for birth certificates (75 years and older), marriage licenses (50 years and older), or death certificates (20 years and older) issued by Cook County. Using this system you will able to get the date and file numbers of documents which then can be purchased online for $15 each. Free registration is required to search the site.
Illinois State Archives Databases
From the Illinois Secretary of State's website, this page provides access to various genealogical resources and includes the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900, information on Illinois veterans, Illinois Statewide Death Indexes, and much more.
Legacy.com
Find links to obituary listings from across the nation in the Newspaper Affiliates section of Legacy.com.
Local Obituary Search Engines
This large collection of search engines accesses obituaries in six large databases and a large collection of obituary search engines arranged by state.
Online Chicago & Cook County, Illinois Death Records & Indexes
A guide to finding obituaries and other death records in the Chicago area, this site contains links to free and fee sites with death listings in newspapers and government sources.
Online Searchable Death Indexes & Records
This directory of online death indexes listed by state and county includes death records, death certificate indexes, death notices and registers, obituaries, probate indexes, and cemetery and burial records.
Skokie Obituary Index
This index to obituaries which appeared in Skokie papers covers 1963 to the present. Issues from which obituaries are indexed include The News (1963 through 1981), Skokie Review (1981 to the present), and Life: Skokie edition (1981 to the present).
Where to Write for Vital Records
From the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), this website provides information about how to obtain birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates.
Organizations
Other genealogists can be great sources of information and research help. Cyndi's List has an extensive list of Illinois genealogical societies and groups.
Illinois
State Genealogical Society
A statewide organization devoted to nurturing genealogical research and supporting local genealogical societies, the Society publishes the Illinois Genealogical Society Quarterly and supports a research facility in Springfield, Illinois.
Jewish Genealogical
Society of Illinois
This society offers research support and vital contacts for the special issues involved in tracing your Jewish ancestry.
North
Suburban Genealogical Society
This extremely active society includes a computer users group, a problem solvers' roundtable, and a variety of monthly programs.