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I’m having trouble logging in. What should I do?

On the AmericanAncestors.org homepage, click the “Log In” button in the top-right corner. Use the email address associated with your American Ancestors account (if you need to change the email address for your account, contact the Member Services team at membership@nehgs.org or 1-888-196-3447, option 1.) 

If you do not remember your password, click “Forgot password?” on the log-in page or visit AmericanAncestors.org/locate. You will be prompted to enter the email address associated with your account and click “Email My Information.”

You will receive an email with a link to reset your password. Click the link in the email, and you will be directed to a page where you can enter a new password. 

Passwords must be at least six character long and contain one uppercase letter, one number, and one special character (!, @, $, %, &, *, ^). If you require assistance, contact our Member Services team at membership@nehgs.org or 1-888-196-3447, option 1. 

My email address and password are automatically populating on the log in page, but it’s not the right log in information.

Your browser (Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.), has saved your previous log in information. Delete the log in information that is currently appearing on the screen, and enter the correct email address and password that you would like to use. Once you are logged in, you will likely see a box appear in your browser asking if you would like to update your log in for AmericanAncestors.org. Select “yes.

Where do I view webinars?

First select “Events” from our main menu, and then select “View past events and videos.” From here you can browse past event recordings, filter by video type, or search by keyword. You can also navigate to this page from our “Tools” menu by selecting “Video Library.” 

Where do I view Subject Guides (now called Research Guides)?

Our previously titled Subject Guides have been re-named Research Guides.  To view these, select “Tools” from our main menu, then select “Research Guides.”  From here, you can browse any of our guides for more information about a specific research topic or tips for beginning genealogists. Remember that you need at least a free Guest account to see Research Guides.

How do I renew my membership?

Click the “Membership” option in the main menu, and select “Go to membership”. From there, scroll down and to see our various membership levels and proceed to checkout. 

Where do I view past issues of American Ancestors magazine and the Register?

To view past issues of American Ancestors magazine and The Register, select “Publications” and choose either “American Ancestors Magazine” or “New England Historic Genealogical Register” from the drop-down menu.  Select the “Past Issues” tab, and click “View Past Issues.”  From here, you can click to download a PDF of the issue you wish to view, which will open a PDF version in a new tab that you can read from your browser or save to your desktop.

To view past issues of both publications, you must be a paying member of American Ancestors. Make sure you're logged into the site, so the site recognizes your account status.

Where can I find/subscribe to The Weekly Genealogist?

To subscribe to The Weekly Genealogist and view past issues, select “Publications” and choose “The Weekly Genealogist” from the drop-down menu.  From here, you can either subscribe by clicking “Subscribe for Free” or view past issues by scrolling down to “Access Previous Issues” and selecting the article you wish to read. 

Where do I see upcoming events and programs?

You can now view all of our upcoming events and programs from our “Events” tab and selecting “Go to Events.” You can also filter by event date using the “Select Date” option, the kind of event by using the “Event Type” drop-down menu, and if an event is free or virtual by clicking the “Free” or “Online Only” checkbox respectively. 

How do I schedule a visit?

In the upper right-hand corner, hover over “About Us.” Select “Schedule a visit” from the menu that appears. 

Where are my trees?

After logging in to your account on American Ancestors, click on “My Account” in the top-right corner of the screen.  From the drop-down menu, select “My Trees,” located underneath the “My Profile” option.  You will then be prompted to create a tree or view your existing trees from AncesTREES. 

How do I do a database search? How do I do a catalog search?

Our search menu is now consolidated in one easy-to-use tool via the “Search” tab, located on the left side of the website.  You can choose to either search by topic, search by database, search the library catalog, or search our digital library and archive. 

How is the new website organized?

The best way to get to know our new website is to hover over our menu options! You’ll find familiar content and resources under these menus, and some exciting new features as well. We have a main menu with some of our most frequently visited areas of the site, including “Search,” “Events,” “Membership,” and “Give.”

We also have a secondary menu with additional options that will be helpful to you in your research, including “Publications”, “Expert Help”, “Tools”, “Signature Projects”, and “Activities and Initiatives”. Hover over these menu options to view more options under each category. For example, you’ll find our Vita Brevis blog under “Publications,” and our video library of past webinars under “tools.” Explore these menus to discover more! 

How do I check my membership status?

First log into the website, and then click “My Account” in the upper right-hand corner.  Select “My Profile” from the drop-down menu.  From here, click “Membership Information” on the left side of the screen to view your membership status, member ID, and expiration date. 

Where do I find information about visiting (hours, parking, accommodations, etc.)?

You can access any information relevant to planning your visit by clicking “About Us” and selecting “Visit and Contact” from the drop-down menu.  From here, scroll down and select “Visitor Information” to view information about our hours of operation, holiday hours, floor plan, and more.  You can also select “Plan Your Visit” to view information on directions, parking, and accommodations near our research center. 

Where do I find information on donating materials?

All donation information can be found from our “Give” tab on the home page.  For information on donating materials, select “Give” and click “Donate Materials” from the drop-down menu. 

What does “search by topic” mean?

This new search is different from our database search. Think of it as searching all non-record related content in the American Ancestors universe. Rather than searching for records, you can search for resources by topic, such as “Mayflower”, or “Ireland.” Your search results will return content such as webinars, research guides, books, and more. To search for records, such as vital records, census records, etc., use our database search. You can navigate to our database search by hovering over our “Search” menu option, and selecting “Go to search.”   

Is the new website accessible to people with disabilities?

American Ancestors/NEHGS is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards.