Charts, Forms & Logs
Download these PDFs, then print or fill in electronically.
- Ancestral Charts are simple family trees
- Family Group Sheets are used to track all members of a family
- Research Logs serve as a record of where you've looked and what you've found
Introduction to Family History: A Guide for Beginners
The Introduction to Family History booklet will help you start researching your family history. Download a copy or pick up a printed booklet at any MCDL location. If you've already begun your journey, see below for the additional resources referred to in the booklet.
Page 4
Ancestral Chart demonstration (6 minutes)
Family Group Sheet demonstration (10 minutes)
Page 5
Interview questions and prompts coming soon!
Page 10
FamilySearch.org has many collections of vital records for Ohio. You may find the following useful:
- Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953
- Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001
- Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003
- Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013
- Medina County Birth & Death Records, 1867-1909
- Medina County Marriage Records, 1818-1965 and General index, ca. 1837-1869
- Medina County Marriage Records Card File, 1867-1980
Page 15
Source evaluations coming soon!
Page 16
Presentation on Digitizing (18 minutes)
Vendors of Archival Storage Products:
Page 17
Writing Prompts
- Amy Johnson Crow’s “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks”
- The Family Story Workbook: 105 Prompts & Pointers for Writing Your History by Kris Spisack - Check it out at MCDL
Ethics in Genealogy
- Association of Professional Genealogists’ Code of Ethics and Professional Practices
- Board for Certification of Genealogists’ Ethics and Standards
- The Coalition for Responsible AI in Genealogy’s Guiding Principles for Responsible AI in Genealogy
- Genetic Genealogy Standards
- National Genealogical Society’s Guidelines
Need More Guidance?
Ask the MCDL Genealogy Team – we love family history and we’re happy to help! One-on-one appointments can be held in-person at the library or virtually with Zoom. Email me-team.genealogy@mcdl.info or call 330-725-0588 x5017 to schedule an appointment.
The MCDL Genealogy Blog covers topics of interest to genealogists and local historians with an emphasis on the undiscovered resources at MCDL. New topics published weekly.