Collection Spotlight: Discover Your Roots with Ancestry.com Library Edition and ProQuest Historical Newspapers
by Giovanna Colosi, Librarian for Education, Subject Instruction Lead
Have you ever wondered about the history behind your family name or where your ancestors came from? Whether you're tracing your roots for a class project, or just curious, Syracuse University Libraries offer powerful tools to help you explore your family history. Two resources for digging into the past are Ancestry.com Library Edition and ProQuest Historical Newspapers.
Ancestry.com Library Edition includes census records, marriage, birth and death certificates, immigration records, and military documents. With ProQuest Historical Newspapers you can search through digitized issues of major newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post to find news articles, obituaries, wedding announcements, legal notices and advertisements.
Tips for Your Search:
Begin your search with Ancestry.com Library Edition to gather key details like names, birth dates and locations that form the foundation of your family history. Once you've built a list of essential facts, use ProQuest Historical Newspapers to dig deeper into the lives behind the names. Searching for family members by name is a great start, but try expanding your search with addresses, occupations or any other details you found on Ancestry.com can help you uncover specific results. Don't limit yourself to articles alone; advertisements, social columns, obituaries and community notices can offer clues about your ancestors' lives and their place in the community.
Example Search:
Let's say you're researching your great-grandfather, Antonio Nave, who immigrated to the U.S. from Italy around 1915, settling in New York City.
Step 1: Start with Ancestry.com Library Edition
- Search for Antonio Nave in the U.S. Federal Census Records from 1910–1930.
- You find an entry showing Antonio lived in Brooklyn in 1920, worked as a cobbler and lived with his wife and two daughters.
- The census also notes that Antonio immigrated in 1915 and was born in Benevento, Italy.
Step 2: Fill in the Story with ProQuest Historical Newspapers
- Now head to ProQuest Historical Newspapers and search for "Antonio Nave Brooklyn cobbler" between 1915–1940.
- You find a 1933 newspaper article about a community fundraiser where Antonio donated handmade shoes for a local church bazaar.
- Searching by his street address, you also discover a classified ad he placed offering shoe repair services out of his home.
Using both these databases you can create a deeper, more vivid picture of your ancestors' lives and the communities they were part of.
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