Discover Your Roots with Heritage Quest at CMRLS

 

Discover Your Roots with Heritage Quest at CMRLS

Have you ever wondered where you came from—who your ancestors were, where they lived, what struggles and triumphs shaped them? The Central Mississippi Regional Library System (CMRLS) offers a powerful tool for free to genealogists, family historians, or anyone curious about their heritage: Heritage Quest is accessible to all CMRLS cardholders. 

What is Heritage Quest?

Heritage Quest is an online database bursting with genealogical resources. It includes:

• U.S. Census records (key snapshots of American life over time) dating back to 1790,
• Revolutionary War records,
• Freedman’s Bank records—an invaluable resource for African American genealogy.
• The U.S. Serial Set, PERSI (the Periodical Source Index),
• Over 20,000 family and local histories, and more.

These resources make Heritage Quest a fount of knowledge for anyone tracing family trees, exploring local history, or even working on school or scholarly projects.

How to Use Heritage Quest via CMRLS

One of the great things about CMRLS is that cardholders can access Heritage Quest from home—no need to physically visit a branch. If you have your library card number, you can log in remotely. 

Here are simple steps to get started:

1. Make sure you have a CMRLS library card. If you have not gotten yours yet, you can apply at any branch.
2. Head to the Digital Library section on the CMRLS website, then to the Virtual Reference Collection.
3. Click on Heritage Quest and enter your card number when prompted. Then you can begin searching records, histories, or various indexes.

Why Heritage Quest Is Valuable

• Depth & Variety of Sources
  From census data to military records to bank registers for freed people—Heritage Quest offers documents that many people can’t find elsewhere.
• Accessibility
  Home access means you can explore your genealogy from anywhere—not just in the library.
• Historical & Personal Context
  The local histories, family narratives, and documented events provide the broader picture that’s often missing from raw data alone.

                                    

Whether you’re trying to piece together your family history, exploring local history in Rankin, Scott, Simpson, or Smith counties, or simply interested in the people and times that led to where we are now, Heritage Quest through the Central Mississippi Regional Library System is a powerful tool.