Google Books, the largest online book collection, has millions of digitalized books, including many family and local histories.  Because of new and more powerful search engines we are now able to instantly find a name anywhere within these collections.  The most effective way to find family history information in Google Books is to utilize the Advanced Book Search feature.  The following information will show you how to make the most of Google Books when seeking histories that are relevant to your genealogy research.

Searching for a Person

Searching for an Ancestral Location

Searching for a Person

1. Search by entering a name in the “Exact Phrase” box plus a word such as genealogy, family or history in the

    “Subject” box.

2.To reduce the number of irrelevant results enter a range of years such as the person’s years of birth and death.

3.Search by variant spellings of the surname by entering each alternate by connecting the first and last names with a

   hyphen.  For example: Albea-Skruggs Albea-Skraggs Albea-Scrugs  Albea-Scrags.

4.To further reduce the number of unrelated matches add another search term such a the first name of the spouse or a

   place in which they lived.

Searching for an Ancestral Location

You will broaden your research if you know a place where your ancestor lived.  Books found with the following search method will probably give you details about your ancestors church, schools, military unit, etc.

1. Enter a county or town name as a “Title Word” or “Subject” box. 

2. In addition you may add a name in the “at least one of the words”, “exact phrase” or “all of the words” box to find

    books that mention your ancestor.