Being a librarian, I have heard from customers that they have searched every where for their ancestors and cannot find anything. Let me share a little secret ... there are more than one or five or even fifty places to search for ancestors. If you've been searching using Ancestry, FamilySearch, and other major sites, have you tried a more local site?
One of the major benefits of using a local source, whether a library, archive, university, or genealogical and historical society is that those who are local recognize family names or know the personal or social histories for the area. They are a font of information for genealogists.
Branch Discoveries will begin a twice monthly post entitled, "Search Local," focused on a free digital collection from a library or archive in Michigan, Indiana, or Ohio. There are so many free digital resources available to family history researchers from local repositories. Branch Discoveries will share these materials with you in support of your family history journey.