In the past, I've tried to research family history at libraries and on the web, but usually only come across things for ancestry.com. Does anyone here know a good resource to find things like family crests, family trees, or anything like this?
hi! while you may get some answers here, this question might attract more responses in /r/Genealogy
There are lots of different sites which are good for specific aspects of family history - recently I researched the local war memorial, and found lots of information by searching things like the names of royal navy ships, regimental associations; even the battles sometimes had websites. The best general free one I have found though is Family Search - https://familysearch.org/ It is provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but is open to all for genealogical research. Family crests is a bit harder, as few people with the same last name share the same crest. I haven't researched them myself, but you may find you need to approach an official body - such as the College of Arms (UK) or the American College of Heraldry (US) which I doubt is free!
You might want to grab a copy of this: http://www.amazon.com/Surnames-Ireland-Edward-MacLysaght/dp/0716523663
MacLysacht was the Chief Herald of Ireland. The book includes a brief primer on what arms are, and I think it would be relevant wherever coats of arms have been traditionally used. They represent one person, not a family, except where the rightful heir or bearer of the arms is unknown (like in many Irish families). I think the only exception is corporate arms (like those for an incorporated town or college or other organisation).