Genealogy Month at the Library

The library has a range of genealogy resources including books and other materials in the Andover Room, online resources available from home such as Heritage Quest and our older street directories, inhouse online resources such as Ancestry.Com, and circulating materials such as genealogy books and CD-ROMs. You will also find recommended genealogical websites under internet picks. If you would like some help with genealogical searching, contact reference librarian Leslie Baskin.

Presentations this month

Tuesday, March 7, 7:00pm
Thomas H. Roderick, Ph.D.
DNA in Family History Research

Usually genealogical research depends on "the paper trail." The great recent excitement in genealogy is its merger in part with genetics. Recent developments in genetics now provide widely available analyses of human DNA to aid genealogists in their quest for knowledge of ancestors, their relationships with others, and their ethnic origins. This is possible because our DNA is essentially a gene trail of our ancestry; each of us carries this book of our own unique ancestry in our genes. The closer our DNA matches, the closer we are related.

Tuesday, March 21, 7:00pm
Marcia D. (Iannizzi) Melnyk
US Federal Census and City Directories: Getting the most from these sources

Learn the ins and outs of using the census records to your best advantage and how city directories can aid you in this research, as well as filling in the years between the decennial census lists. You will never look at the census in the same way again!

Genealogists and family historians have used the United States Federal Census records to track our ancestors from 1790 through 1930. Many researchers use the records without fully understanding the information included. With any record you must know why the record was created, what data was included, and how to translate this data into other possible research sources. Research the record before you use the record for research!!

Tuesday March 28, 7:00pm
Laura G. Prescott
The Rest of the Story: Using Manuscripts to Create a Family History

Tap into great repositories of historical treasure! Discover where to find family information in special collections archives. Learn why manuscripts and artifacts are essential to building your family's story.

Participants will learn how to be productive in identifying appropriate collections, what to expect during a visit, and how to use the resources most effectively. Particular examples, some humorous, some disappointing, some triumphant, will be elaborated upon.