Vital records aka BMDs (birth, marriage, death) records are a cornerstone of tracing back the family. Civil records and/or church records. Some in government offices in towns and villages. Some in local churches. Some microfilmed. Some transcribed. Some indexed. Some scanned digitally. Some digital transcriptions or indices Some free. Some not. One place to start is in your own home - and the homes of as many relatives who are willing to let you make copies of their papers .. their birth certificates, marriages and death certificates. (while there, get other BEYOND vital records ... military papers, for exampl) After that, there's a site on the web with online resource links for genealogy - just under a quarter of a million of them here: http://www.cyndislist.com If you wind up at a local town hall requesting birth, marriage or death certificates, the price is usually nominal for them to write out a certificate or give you a photocopy. If you wnat it certified in any way, then you'll likely be charged between $10 to $20 per record. (US) (One dollar per ledger page of several is a LOT better) Renting microfilm runs btw three and four dollars per reel at a local Family History Center. Online searching is better for CENSUS records and these days, for MILITARY and PENSION records and IMMIGRATION records. Vital records are hit and miss depending on timeframe and locality.