Updated version on how to use Ancestry Library Edition (ALE) database, a library version of the popular genealogy website Ancestry.com. The powerpoint details what are some of the main data sets in the database, provides some advanced search tips (e.g. how to use wildcards and soundex) and highlights different search strategies via 2 case studies examining Canadian and American census records and American Vital Records.

1. Ancestry Library
Edition (ALE)
Presented by May P. Chan
Prairie History Room, Regina Public Library
Harvest Your Family Tree Conference, Kelowna, BC
– Sept. 26, 2014
© 2014

2. Outline
• Ancestry vs Ancestry Library Edition (ALE)
• ALE’s Main Content
• Brief Overview of how the database works—how to search and how
are the results displayed
• Case Study #1: Daniel SCHMIDT and his family—where did they settle in
Saskatchewan in the 1900s and what were the names of the children?
• Case Study #2: Tracking down the names of Francis Joseph Julian “Muggsy”
SPANIER’s parents
• Question Period and Wrap-up

3. Ancestry vs. Ancestry Library Edition (ALE)
Ancestry.com/Ancestry.ca Ancestry Library Edition (ALE)
• Marketed towards individuals • Marketed towards institutions such as libraries,
archives and genealogical societies
• Accessible from any internet capable
computer
• Accessible only from within the physical
confines of the institution
• Enables users to upload their own
genealogical projects to the site, such as
family trees, and to interact with other
members
• No interaction for members or ability to upload
projects.

4. Main Resources Found in ALE
(Canada)
• 1851-1921 federal Census returns
• 1906 & 1916 Prairie Census returns
• Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935
• Border Crossings from US to Canada, 1908- 1935
• National Railway Immigration Records, 1937-1960
• Ontario Birth, Marriage & Death Records, 1857-1934
• Quebec Vital & Church Records (Drouin Collection),
1621-1967
• Saskatchewan, Gazette Changes of Names, 1917-
1950
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Can
ada_flag_map.svg

5. Main Resources Found in ALE
(United States)
• 1790-1940 federal Census records
• Border Crossings from Canada to US, 1895-1956
• State Censuses, such as New York 1875, 1892,
1905, 1915 & 1925
• Passenger Lists including the ports of New York,
Philadelphia and Boston, ca, 1800-1957
• Military records, including Civil War service records,
WWI draft registrations and WWII Army enlistment
records
• Historical directories and yearbooks (select states)
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_Map_of_the
_United_States_%281912_-_1959%29.png

6. Main Resources Found in ALE
(England, Wales, & Scotland)
• English & Welsh census records, 1841-1911
• Scottish census records, 1841-1901
• England & Wales: Births, Marriages & Death indexes, 1837-
1915
• Gretna Green, Scotland – Marriage Registers, 1794-1895
• UK Incoming Passengers Lists, 1878-1960
• UK Outward Passengers Lists, 1890-1960
• UK Naturalization Certificates and Declarations, 1870-1912
• British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great_Britn.jpg

7. Main Resources Found in ALE
(Ireland and Continental Europe)
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Europe_with_fl
ags.svg
• Ireland, Births, Marriage & Death Indexes,
1864-1958
• Ireland, Griffith’s Valuation, 1847-1864
• Netherlands, Census and Population Registers,
1645-1940
• Czech Republic Censuses, 1857-1921
• Swedish Emigration Records, 1783-1951
• Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934
• Germany WWI Casualty Lists, 1914-1918
• German Phone Directories, 1915-1981

8. Resources NOT Found in ALE
• Obituary Collection
• Historical Newspaper Collection
• Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI)
• Passengers and Immigration List Index (PILI)
• Families and Local Histories Collection
• Periodical Source Index (PERSI)
• Freedman’s Bank Records
Tip #2: if you are interested in the Families/Local Histories
Collection, PERSI or Freedman’s Bank Records, check to see if
the institution also offers access to HeritageQuestOnline!
Tip #1: check to see if your library carries print copies of this
index!

9. Generally though….
…whenever a new resource is added to Ancestry.com or Ancestry.ca, this resource
can also be found in Ancestry Library Edition (ALE) either that day or within a few days
of its publication.
Note: ALE generally adds and updates approximately 30 data sets every month so
make sure you check back on a regular basis!

10. ALE’s Home Page
Main Navigational Bar

11. ALE’s Main Navigation Bar – Search Categories

12. General Search Tips and Strategies
• Avoid doing a general search on the home page!
• Focus specifically on what you want to accomplish today—e.g. tracking down the
names of your great grandparents on your father side
• Avoid filling out every search field on the screen before clicking “submit”
• Be prepared to work! Bring in your notebook/binder, your memory stick,
etc. Never think it will take you only 10-15 minutes to find what you need in
ALE.
• If you are not finding the appropriate results, remember to read the “scope
and content” information about the particular data set—e.g. no birth index
for Illinois in ALE but there is Cook County, Illinois birth certificates index for
1871-1922. This info typically helps to explain the lack of results or how the
information was originally compiled/retrieved

13. Advanced Search Options
• Utilize advanced search options for surnames with variant spellings:
• EXACT – no spelling variation – e.g. SMITH (no SMITHE, SMYTH, etc.)
• PHONETIC – what you hear – e.g. LESTER (to represent LEICESTER)
• SOUNDEX – finding surnames that sound alike and share the same code as one
another – e.g. ROBERT and RUPERT (soundex R163)
• SIMILAR VARIATIONS – commonly used alternates and spelling variations –
e.g. HASHE=HASH
• Wildcards & Truncation Symbols
• Use * to replace up to 5 characters in a word – e.g. john* to retrieve JOHN, JOHNS,
JOHNSON, etc.
• Use ? to replace only one character – e.g. CH?N for CHAN, CHEN, CHIN

14. Other Helpful Search Tips
• If you are not finding your relatives, try taking out the first name/middle
name or replace the first name with an initial
• Be careful when it comes to using nicknames in your search field!
• E.g. Margaret – nicknames include Meg, Maggie, Margie, May, Peg and Daisy
• If you are looking for someone with a more “unusual” first name, you
stand a better chance of finding the person in the database
• Try broadening your search geographically. If you are not finding the
family, try searching under the name of the community

15. Search Results in ALE
• Search results are ranked according to relevancy so the most
“relevant” results are located near the top of the list
• Like any database, if you click on the record, you will see more
information about why this record was selected. Remember to click
on the link to see the “original record”
• Results can be printed, saved to a flash drive and emailed.
However, check with the hosting institution first about their setup about
printing and saving records from the database.
• NOTE: while you can email the results from ALE to yourself, the site
sets a limit of sending only 5 results to a single email address.
So it is better to bring your flash drive and/or be prepared to print off
your results.

16. Case Study #1
Daniel SCHMIDT was born in Russia
ca. 1883 and married Caroline
HEPTING in 1901—the same year
they immigrated to Canada. The
couple settled in Saskatchewan. They
had several children, including
Elizabeth, Martha, Henry and Olga.
Where in Saskatchewan did they
settle and when were the children
born?
Clues:
•Family settled in Saskatchewan
sometime around 1901
•Daniel was originally from Russia
•Wife’s name is Caroline and her maiden
name is HEPTING
•Year of immigration is 1901
•Children’s names include Elizabeth,
Martha, Henry and Olga
Where to Start Looking:
-Federal census collection
- 1921, 1911 and possibly 1901
-Prairie census collection
- 1916 and 1906
Question: Why would we not begin our search in Saskatchewan’s Vital Records
or Canada Passenger Lists?

17. Canadian Census Collection
Important Search Tip! Click on the “Show
Advanced” button to get more search
options such as exact.

18. Canadian Census Collection
Note: this original search was
conducted in the fall of 2012!
These results are from 2012.

19. 1911 Canadian Census Record
Is this really Daniel SCHMIDT?

20. 1916 “Brick Wall”
• Tried searching various combinations of Daniel/Dan and
SCHMIDT/SMITH to locate the family in the 1916 Prairie Census
without any luck. What would you do?
• HINT: Tried looking for either the wife or the children in the
census. In this case, I chose Olga because the name is not as
common and does not offer as many variations as Karolina (e.g.
Carol, Caroline, etc.) or Elizabeth (e.g. Elisabeth, Liza, Ellie, etc.)

21. Breaking Through the
1916 “Brick Wall”

22. 1921 Canadian Census

23. 1921 Canadian Census
Observations:
-SCHMIDT share the same soundex code as
SMITH so make sure you keep this in mind
while searching other records
-In the 1916 Prairie census, Daniel is now going
by the name of Ian
-In the 1921 Canadian census, the mother’s
name has changed from Karolina to Lucie.
Apparently Lucie is now 2 years older than her
husband whereas in previous census records,
she was younger. So is Karolina and Lucie the
same woman???
-The names of the children have remained the
same—Elizabeth (Elisa/Lizzie), Martha (Marta),
Henry, Eva and Olga

24. Case Study #2
I am trying to track down information
about jazz musician Francis Joseph
Julian “Muggsy” SPANIER
(http://en/wikipedia.org/wiki/Muggsy_Sp
anier), specifically the names of Muggsy’
parents.
Clues:
•Full name is Francis Joseph Julian SPANIER;
sometimes went as Joseph Spanier
•“Muggsy” is a nickname
•Birth date is November 9, 1901
•Birth place is listed as Chicago, Illinois
•Death date is February 12, 1967
•Occupation was jazz musician
Where to Begin Looking:
-Vital Records, specifically a birth record registered in Chicago, Illinois
-US census records, specifically from 1910 onwards

25. Birth, Marriage & Death Records Search

26. Next Steps….
• A search within the Cook County,
Illinois Birth Certificates Index,
1871-1922 does not yield any
results for a Francis SPANIER, born
in Chicago on November 9, 1901
• My next step…Try searching for
Francis SPANIER in the US Census
records starting with the 1940
census and working backwards
towards the 1910
1940 US Census
Question: Why would I want to start
with the 1940 census first?

27. 1930 US Census
Another clue: father was born in
France while mother was born in
Ireland
1920 US Census
Another clue: mother’s name is
Katherine and Francis has several
brothers including Joseph
1910 US Census
Father’s name is William but the
family name is listed as SPENCER
Note: Soundex code for SPANIER/SPAMER is S156
while for SPENCER, the code is S152

28. Still no birth certificate for Francis SPANIER but I did find…
Mary Margaret Juliet SPANIER
Father: William Arthur SPANIER
Mother: Katherina REILLEY
Joseph Summer Bacon SPANIER
Father: William Arthur SPANIER
Mother: Katherine Helen RILEY SPANIER

29. Additional Resources
• Ancestry.Com Learning Centre (research tips;
http://tinyurl.com/7qo742k) – FREE
• Ancestry Library Edition Answers (research tips;
http://tinyurl.com/alefaqs) – FREE
• Ancestry Library blog (unauthorized reviews of
Ancestry.com & FamilySearch.org;
http://ancestryinsider.blogspot.com) – FREE
• Morgan, George C. The Official Guide to
Ancestry.com. Provo, UT: Ancestry Pub., c.2007.

30. Thank-you!
May P. Chan
Email: maychan@reginalibrary.ca
www.slideshare.net/maychan
(for a copy of this presentation)