When people imagine what our library offers, it’s easiest to consider the many shelves of books, the computer stations, and even the RCU Dabble Box in the basement; that being said, many people are unaware of the many online resources that the library offers as well. Although library patrons may be familiar with a handful of our online resources, such as the MORE catalog or Libby, there are plenty that are offered by LEPMPL (L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library) that get highlighted far less often.

For the eighth blog post in the series of highlighting online library resources, I would like to take some time to focus on the “Genealogy Tools & Resources” section under the “Explore” tab on the library website’s front page. This page is a good place to start digging through a wide array of resources relating to genealogy: whether it be military records, land records, newspapers, or the well-known Ancestry.com, this page has it all (so much so that it will be hard to do it justice in a single blog post – I highly recommend you check this page out for yourself!).

First and foremost, you will notice at the top of the page that there are a few quick links to take you around the page, giving you a simple preview of all the sections on the page: genealogy tools, local resources, military records, and land/vital/probate. Immediately below these quick links, you will see that there are some resources available for those who are new to genealogical research, including resources for children, guides and instructions for new researchers, and even tips for interviewing family members to find more information.

Below that, you will see a small featured resources section that will encourage you to visit Fold3 and the Genealogical Research Society of Eau Claire. Fold3 is a great resource for finding military records, photos, stories, and personal documents of men and women who have served our country. Otherwise, the Genealogical Research Society of Eau Claire is a great resource for finding obituary and cemetery information, as well as local birth, marriage, and divorce records.

Beyond the featured resources, or if you clicked the “tools” quick link, are the general tools and resources. This includes three major resources, the first of which is ancestry: library edition. This is only accessible while at the library, however, it is the world’s largest online family history resource and offers instant access to billions of documents and historical photos. There is also FamilySearch, which is similar to ancestry, but it’s worth noting that it will require you to create a personal account to access images (and the images specifically are restricted to only be accessible while at the library). The third of the major resources is HeritageQuest, which is also quite similar to the resources noted above, but is entirely accessible from the comfort of your own home. Lastly, there are also multiple resources regarding burial records, immigration records, censuses, and newspapers. Although these final resources are a little more limited in scope, they can be great supplemental resources while researching your family history!

Next up on the webpage are the local resources. This section has information regarding the Eau Claire Area Research Center (ARC), the Genealogical Research Society of Eau Claire, the Wisconsin Historical Society, and other area resources. There is also information regarding other resources the library itself has, such as BadgerLink and Chippewa Valley History, which have both been covered relatively extensively in other blog posts. Lastly, there is also a list of physical resources regarding genealogical research compiled that patrons are able to browse on the second floor of the library (these are not available for checkout – however, we do have resources not listed that are available for checkout).

Towards the end of the webpage, there are two sections, and the first handles everything related to military records. This includes the aforementioned Fold3, military personnel records, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, the Wisconsin Military Resource Center, The Veterans History Project, and a few sources relating to the American Civil War.

Finally, the last section on this webpage, handles everything related to land, vital, and probate records in Eau Claire. This includes information about the Eau Claire County Clerk of Courts, Register of Deeds, housing history, vital records, and land records.

If you have any questions regarding these resources, feel free to contact the Reference Services Department of LEPMPL in person on the second floor of the library, through email at reference@eauclaire.lib.wi.us, or over the phone at 715-839-5004.