If you are new to Genealogy research, never fear your library is here for you! Some tips for beginners are:

1. Always begin with yourself and work your way back. This gives you a clear beginning place for your research and will make things less confusing as you move backward in your tree.

2. Interview all living family members. Gain as much information from them as possible. You will want to ask questions such as:

Where and when were your parents born? (If they were not born in the U.S., find out what country they were born in and what year and if possible find out what year they immigrated to the U.S.)

Do your parents or any close relative of your parents have a copy of their marriage license and their birth certificates? If not, you will want to write to the country, province, state, town or city where they were born and where they were married to get a copy of these important records.

Vital records such as marriage, and birth records are very important in Genealogy research because these documents contain important information not just about the individual, but about their parents. Many marriage licenses have information about the couple's parents such as where and when they were born.

3. Never try to research more than one line of your family at once. If you start by researching your mother's side, save your father's side for later. As you get further back in time in your research, trying to do both lines at once can become confusing.

There is a really good web guide for beginners at http://rwguide.rootsweb.ancestry.com/.