Hi there! I'm Lisa Lisson, and I'm passionate about helping people like you discover their ancestors and expand their family tree without feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about the next steps.
What's actually on your genealogy desk in 2026?
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Hi, Reader, Ten years ago, I was a "paper based" researcher. Yes, I was moving toward a completely digital system, but I still had a lot of paper. Plus, I had nn elaborate filing system that needed its own management system. Most of the paper is gone now. Good riddance. What's left on my desk is a small collection of tools that actually earn their place, and one upgrade I wish I'd made years earlier. That upgrade? A second monitor. Genealogy is essentially a constant comparison exercise. Records against notes. Documents side by side. Source next to tree. A second monitor means I do all of that without toggling back and forth like a tennis spectator. Once you work this way, single-screen research feels sluggish. In this week's new post, I'm sharing everything that's on my desk right now — and what's not. Including:
There's also a short, free toolkit list linked in the post if you want the quick version. 👉 My Minimalist Genealogy Office: The Tools I Actually Use (2026) You don't need a lot of office supplies to do strong genealogy research. You need a clear head and good evidence. Happy Ancestor Hunting! Lisa P.S. What is your go-to research tool? |
Are You My Cousin? Newsletter
Hi there! I'm Lisa Lisson, and I'm passionate about helping people like you discover their ancestors and expand their family tree without feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about the next steps.
Hi, Reader, You've checked every database. Searched every spelling variation. Tried soundex, wildcards, and every creative workaround you know. You've gone back to sources you've already searched, just in case you missed something the first time. And your ancestor is still....missing. After years of searching for brick wall ancestors exactly like yours, I've learned something valuable: the wall isn't the problem. The research direction is. Let me show you what I mean. I've been working a case...
Hi, Reader, You found the death certificate. Name, date, cause of death confirmed. Filed away. Most genealogists stop there, but the four most useful clues on the document are still sitting unread. I just updated this post with exactly what to look for and why each one matters: → 4 Death Certificate Clues Everyone Misses The first I'd start with: the informant. Who reported the death? If it's a neighbor instead of a family member, that's not random. It's either evidence of estrangement, or a...
Hi, Reader, If you've been doing genealogy research for more than five minutes, you probably have them. A box. A folder. A stack of photographs with faces and zero names. They arrived from an aunt who was cleaning out a closet, or a cousin who "heard you do genealogy," or in my case — literally in the back of a car at Thanksgiving. They're sitting somewhere right now, and every time you look at them, you think: I should do something about these. Here's the thing — you can. And it doesn't...