Once you join our virtual library, the first thing you will see is an Instruction Page. Please read it carefully, then click on the link which says "Continue to the Listings Section".
You will then arrive at a list of our main INDEX to various categories of information.
These Categories include a list of more than 200 countries, as well as ethnic groups, religious groups and so on.
Once you click on a category, you will see a list of link descriptions, and some "stars" that rate the each resource. The most valuable sources - 5 star rating - are always listed first. Click on any description of a website or book (eBook) and in a matter of seconds you are there, looking at the information you selected, ready to search and discover. When you are done, close that external website, and you are returned to the list. Use the back arrow on your web browser if you want to move back to the original list of categories in the Main Index.
Maps. We've recently introduced some very Special Categories. One Special Category is MAPS. Click on this category to see an ever-growing list of antique maps as old as 1000 A.D., or as recent as the 1900s. Most of these maps have been cleaned up, and then enlarged greatly. When you look at a map, it's as if you are using a magnifying glass! Since we show maps for various countries at different time periods, you can see place-name changes, boundary changes, and so on. By selecting a country, state or province, and moving through different years, you can literally "see" history chronologically.
Another Special Category is Family Histories. If you click on this category, you will see a listing of thousands of eBooks. The majority of them were originally published a century or more ago. When tracing a family tree, remember this: somebody may have already published a genealogy or family history that you don't know about. To their surprise, many of our members discovered that some of the research work they were planning to do, was already published long ago!
Another popular categories is Names - Personal & Surnames. If you click on this Category you will find information about surnames, given names, proper names and where they came from, and what they meant originally. For example, every surname has a history and a meaning. You will also discover spellings (and mis-spellings!) of names that developed over the centuries.
We recently added another new category called Names - Places. This is a great help for locating a place name that may be encountered in your reading. This category is becoming very popular, and literally spans the globe. It's very useful for finding old or ancient names that may have changed.
Another special category is Royalty & Nobility. Here, from around the world, are links to websites and more rare eBooks. You will also find listings for the primary reference books on legitimate Heraldry around the world. Some of these reference books are centuries old, covering "Coats of Arms" and Crests and often, history of some families. You can read, or save these books in your own computer.
In summary, there are major categories for more than 200 countries, as well as ethnic groups, religious groups, and native peoples. There are Special Categories as mentioned above. Our researchers have searched in advance for you, and collected together and organized website resources and direct eBook links for your instant access. Any new discoveries made by our research team are added to our website every week.
"DESCRIPTORS"
As you know, some books and websites have titles that don't give you a clue as to what information is in them. This is so often true, that it reminds us of the old saying, "You can't judge a book by its cover". It's the same for titles of books and websites. A website address or URL may not give you a clue as to what information is really on it.
So our library uses "Descriptors", which are short, clear sentences that describe in advance what you will find.
This way, whether you want to visit a free source of information, or read a book containing information you seek, you will have a brief summary just by looking at the Descriptor.
These instant links cover thousands of information sources and books. This means no more wasted time, and fewer "trials and errors".
This is an example of what a Descriptor link looks like:
"Births, Marriages & Deaths between 1735-1908 in Herefordshire"
And, if that's what you are looking for, then just click on it. It's fast, and it's easy to get used to. It saves hours of fruitless searching, frustration and discouragement.
Again, Descriptor links TELL YOU - IN SIMPLE WORDS - IN ADVANCE - what you will find.
When you join our library and become a member, you can choose from among over 50,000 Descriptor Links. You simply select the ones that describe the information you are seeking. Next, you can click on as many as 350 Descriptor Links every week (50 each day). (If you are a member of a subscribing institution or library, this limit does not apply).
When we find valuable new information on the internet, or when we locate a valuable rare book, we create new Descriptor Links and add them as soon as possible. This provides great benefits to all researchers, whether they are beginners, or professionals. It means you have information that is constantly being upgraded, globally, and you stay on the "front wave" of what is happening. You can use our website to search for people living in the present day, as well as for people living in centuries past. You can search out the history, geography and maps of thousands of places.
Important Notes to Remember:
(1) Build your own Library of Rare Books. It's Free.
One of the most valuable things we do is monitor, on a global basis, the increasing number of "digital books" or eBooks coming online. We already have Descriptor Links in our Research Table to more than 55,000 of these rare and valuable books, and more are being added all the time. In the past, just one very rare book might have cost you over $500 if you wanted to buy the original, but today you can read it, study it, and in most cases, you can download the eBook into your own computer or store it on a DVD or CD. And it's free.
Many of these books have been scanned by rare book libraries, archives and local historians. The originals are scattered around the world. The originals are often stored in rooms that are climate-controlled, to preserve them. Now you can build up your own library of any rare books you select. If you have a high speed internet connection, an average book takes only a few minutes to download. These books, and the information they contain can be stored on the hard drive of your computer, or on CDs or DVDs. The majority of these rare books are in "public domain" - which means there no copyright in force any longer. If you plan to republish any of the eBooks, however, make sure you check the copyright status thoroughly.
(2) Search in Special Categories.
Although 200 or more countries make up most of the categories in our Search Listings, we also have categories for ethnic groups, religious groups, and more. Here are just a very few examples of these other categories: Native Peoples (aboriginals), Palatines, Huguenots, and Gypsies.
(3) Take a tour through Antique Maps of the world. Just select the MAPS category.
(4) Discover the Origin of your Name and Surname.
Over the centuries, most of our names have changed in spelling. Above, we mentioned a special category called Names - Personal & Surnames. In this category, we lead you to books that reveal how spellings have changed over the centuries. The books are in several languages. Many of these books explain how our names began, and what they really meant at the beginning.
If you're ready to proceed, then join us to fully experience this new and efficient way of searching, and start reserarching and building your rare book library today!
Join Us as a Member to Experience it all
We have 3 membership plans (average monthly cost shown in brackets below):
(1) 1 Month Membership - $20.00 ($20 per month)
(2) 6 month Membership - $60.00 ($10 per month)
(3) One Year Membership - $90.00 ($7.50 per month)
Membership fees may be changed at any time. Join us now to assure your fees are "locked in" at these introductory rates. You gain access to everything we have, via our unique "switchboard" linking you to 50,000 resources. All 200 countries are included.
We wish all of our new members "good hunting" and welcome to a new way of searching. If you enjoy your experience, tell your friends. If you have a problem, tell us - we appreciate constructive suggestions and comments. When you help us, it comes around: we end up helping you even more.
Thank you!
The Research Team at GRL.com
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