Public libraries frequently offer subscriptions to genealogy resources - and you may be able to access them from your home computer! If you have a library card, check your library's website regularly to see what's available. I live in Hennepin County, MN, and have frequently made family history searches - from home - through the library's website at www.hclib.org.

• Query census records for free on HeritageQuest after keying in your library card number. This is very handy if you don't have a personal subscription to Ancestry.com or don't want to go to the library to use their free Ancestry library edition. If your ancestor's name was misspelled or mis-transcribed in a particular census, it can be helpful to look at another source like HeritageQuest. As we all know, results are sometimes just persistence and luck.
• Search old newspapers, including the Minneapolis Tribune (1867-1908) and Minneapolis Morning Tribune (1909-1922). I've confirmed many critical details in these papers through a name query, as well as finding photographs of family members.
• Find where family members lived or worked in Minneapolis City Directories (1859-1922).

What I didn't realize until recently is that Fold 3 History and Genealogy Archives is now offered on the Hennepin County library site - from my home computer and free. I also see a number of other intriguing sources (e.g., Minneapolis high school yearbooks) when I query "Genealogy Online Resources." Your tax dollars support your local library and its offerings. Find out what's there and take advantage of it!