Ancestry Library Edition gives free access to the paid-for Ancestry genealogy site – billions of historical documents, millions of photos, census returns, parish registers, military records and more across 30,000+ databases – as part of a standard library membership.

Coventry Libraries’ own page confirms it is free to use as part of your library membership. The catch most people do not know: it does not allow remote access, so you use it on a public computer in the library (you can usually book a computer in advance).

Many other UK library services (Durham, Northumberland, Richmond, Tower Hamlets and others) run the same scheme, so check your own council’s library e-resources page. Joining the library is free.