A very few records are now searchable online. Currently, no census or ship passengers lists are searchable. A good portal site for beginning your research. The web site has online indexes to their CD-ROM products. Huge site for German, Eastern European searches and maps.
Many sites are searchable by surname.
Heraldry on the Internet Links to searches for heraldic material. Genealogical Source Material Lists sites which have searchable databases. Some free databases available for searching. Will list the source where the name can be found. Most of the fee-based sources are available here in the Library.