Cyndi’s List is categorized & cross-referenced list of genealogy links created and curated by Cyndi Ingle, a professional genealogist, author, and educator from the United States. Cyndi’s List contains more than 300,000 references to resources you can use for your research.
Cyndi and I first “met” online in 1996, shortly after she started her list. We’re two internet genealogy pioneers! I am proud that Yvette’ Dutch Genealogy Homepage, as my website was known then, was one of the first links she collected. We met in person in 2016 and she has become a dear friend.
Usefulness for Dutch Research
Cyndi’s List has a separate category for research in the Netherlands with over 500 links in 26 categories. This includes links to archives, important databases, methodological articles, colonial history including slavery, etc.
Besides these links to specific Dutch resources, Cyndi’s List also has links to other topics that are relevant to genealogy anywhere, like Bastardy and Illegitimacy, Citing Sources, Handwriting & Scripts, Huguenots, Numbering Systems, and Organizing Your Research.
Why Use a Directory?
Some people have asked me why I still use Cyndi’s List even though we have search engines, social media, and AI to find things. One thing that sets Cyndi’s List apart is that it is a curated list. Each link has been vetted by Cyndi. I know every link there is to a genuine genealogy website, so any website about numbering systems, for example, will be about numbering systems for genealogy rather than something else. It is categorized and cross-linked, so if I find one useful resource, I can often find other relevant sources in the same or a related category.
Search engines and social media can be an echo chamber, where you are more likely to find things you have seen before. With Cyndi’s List I can find things I would not have thought to search for. I can browse it to get ideas. I do not use it instead of these other ways to find things, but in addition to.
How to Support Cyndi’s List
Amazingly, Cyndi is providing her list for free. Unlike most other directories, hers is a manually curated list. From the quality of the linked sites, you can tell that Cyndi’s List is powered by a human who knows genealogy, rather than some bot who just harvests information indiscriminately.
I would like to invite you to support Cyndi’s List. There are several ways to do this:
- You can submit a new link, if you know of a resource that is not already on there.
- You can report a broken link, if you happen to come across one.
- You can make a donation.
- You can use one of the affiliate links in her shop or click on the ads on the website before buying something, so Cyndi will receive a small commission on your purchases at no cost to you. For example, if you are planning to buy gifts on Amazon this holiday season, you can go through Cyndi’s Amazon affiliate link and she will get a small referral fee. Even if you buy something that’s not genealogy-related! She also has affiliate links for DNA kits and site subscriptions.
Have you used Cyndi’s List? What have your experiences been? If not, I invite you to try it.
About Yvette Hoitink
