Spending Tips for Subscription Web Sites

Like most genealogists, you probably don’t have unlimited cash to burn on subscription Web sites. So make sure you get the most bang for your buck by following this advice.

1. Do your research. Before subscribing to any Web site, scour its database lists and use the free searches to see if a subscription would be worth the money.
2. Compare coverage. Some subscription Web sites’ content overlaps. If you’re interested in a database offered by more than one service, look at what other resources you’d get with each one—which site has more content that would be useful to you? Or sign up for one, then try another when the first subscription runs out.
3. Go to the library. Some facilities offer on-site access to library versions of subscription genealogy sites, including Ancestry Library Edition and America’s GenealogyBank. At Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Family History Centers, you can log on to Footnote, Godfrey Memorial Library and World Vital Records for free (find a center near you). Even if you prefer at-home access, this gives you a chance to test out the services before ponying up.