EKU Library News

Explore Ancestry Library Edition for Genealogy and Research

Ever wondered who your ancestors were, where they lived, or what their lives looked like in the census 100 years ago? Or maybe you’re approaching it from a different angle — using historical census data to trace labor shifts for a business case study, analyzing household density for a public health assignment, or examining how family structures and caregiving roles have changed across generations for a sociology or nursing project.

Ancestry Library Edition is available through the Library at no cost to EKU students, faculty, and staff and includes billions of searchable records such as:

• U.S. and international census data
• Immigration and naturalization files
• Birth, marriage, and death records
• Military and draft registrations
• City directories and historic maps, including many from Kentucky and Appalachia

How to Access
You can get to Ancestry Library Edition the same way you access any of our subscription databases.

1. Navigate to the EKU Libraries homepage
2. Choose “Databases” from the search box
3.  Find Ancestry Library Edition in the database list
4. Sign in with your EKU credentials if prompted, and you’ll be connected automatically

No personal subscription is needed. Just open the database and begin searching by name, location, or year.

Getting Started

• Begin with someone you already know — a parent, grandparent, or historical figure from your hometown
• Try alternate spellings (McDonald / MacDonald / McDonnell) or use wildcards (Sm?th)
• Expand date ranges if you’re not finding results
• Select “View Original Image” when available to see handwritten notes, occupations, neighbors, and more