For the patron who thinks she can trace her lineage back to the Mayflower or the student trying to find the beginnings of his family tree, family history is an individualized and often specialized strand of research. Now James Swan, a librarian and genealogist with forty years of experience, helps to make any librarian an expert in genealogy. He covers the research process in detail and shows where to find and how to use all the documents involved - censuses, birth, marriage and death Certificates, and many often-overlooked personal papers. Methods for improving library service to patrons, including building collections, acquiring and preserving local data, identifying and accessing remote resources, and more are covered in-depth. An entire section is devoted to a step-by-step guide for constructing a family history, which can be used by librarians, archivists, family history workers or interested amateurs. A checklist of key indexes and databases is included to ensure thorough research. Sections for technology link users to the genealogical resources on the Web. The companion CD provides hyperlinks for all the recommended Web sites and 25 printable charts, lists, and forms (including a Checklist for Genealogical Research 1850-1900, a Research Log, and a Federal Census Chronology). This unique approach helps make librarians a first resource for genealogical research.