February 26, 2022

Not Normal… But… Improvements?

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I am continually telling myself that I’ve got to jump on here and at least say I’m alive and well… because mostly I am. But I’m also not as focused or as able to hop back onto the computer (after a day at work on a computer) as I used to be… at least not consistently. All that said, baby steps…

Also, it’s easier to talk about someone else sometimes to get started so… my home library, Capital Area District Libraries, is putting on a genealogy series starting March 5th featuring a group of presenters I respect and really enjoy listening to. Please consider checking it out!

Corner of CADL pdf from 2021 Genealogy Series flyer. Reads: Capital Area District Libraries, Everything... right here.

Virtual Family History Open House Series

Celebrate Genealogy Day during the entire month of March! Join us for a series of presentations that will help you discover your family’s story. 

Registration required; call 517-367-6350 or click on “Register.” Email required.

Registrants will be emailed a link to our Zoom meeting a few days before.

Saturdays • 11 a.m.-12 p.m. EST

March 5: Genealogy 101 with Ginger Ogilvie

Ginger Ogilvie is a professional genealogist and loves connecting people to their roots. Learning about our ancestors can help us better understand our stories. This workshop will share genealogical best practices and step by step strategies for people who are new to family history research. We’ll cover basic terms and traditional tools.

March 12: Introduction to Military Records Research with Katherine Willson

Professional Genealogist Katherine Willson will discuss how you can determine which major military conflict your ancestor might have served in, which records may have been generated during that time, and where they are held.  We’ll learn about the various places we might look to determine whether an ancestor served in the military and what we might expect to find in his or her military records.

March 19: Understanding the Ethnic Ancestry in Your DNA Test with Richard Hill

Richard Hill was the first adoptee to identify his birth family through genetic genealogy DNA tests. He shared his story in an award-winning book, Finding Family: My Search for Roots and Secrets in My DNA. Richard’s presentation will focus on the ethnicity reports included with many of the DNA tests. He will explain why results often don’t match expectations, why different testing companies yield different results, and why Native American DNA is so rare. As an example, he will show and compare the results where the same person did eight different tests.

CADL Lansing Libraries
 

March 3, 2021

CADL Virtual Genealogy Series

Posted by JessLibrarian under Classes/Workshops, How To's/Advice | Tags: |
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I’ve never been great about sharing my events… I’m working on it… along with blogging more, researching more, and scanning more. Somehow that pesky (but really fun) fulltime job tends to get in my way. That said, I’m stepping out from my (mostly) behind the scenes duties on Saturday to lead off a virtual series featuring three fabulous Michigan presenters: Matt Pacer (3/13), Katherine Willson (3/20), and Ginger Ogilvie (3/27). Click on the image below for the pdf flyer. The four programs will be Saturday mornings in March, 11 am EST. It’s free but you do have to register for the individual programs to receive the program links. Check it out! Registration is open now: https://bit.ly/2OyhWEZ

Happy hunting,

Jess

  • Fyler for Capital Area District library Family History Online Series. Text reads, Celebrate Genealogy day during the entire month of March. Titles :What I wished I'd Known: Getting Started in Genealogy", "Using Newspapers & More at the Library of Michigan", The 1918 Influenza Pandemic and its Effects on Our Ancestors", and "DNA Basics". Classes are Saturday mornings at 11 am EST in March. Free but registration is required.
    Click image for a more readable pdf.

 

March 9, 2020

CADL 2020 Family History Open House

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Edit: As of March 12th this event has been cancelled.

This one snuck up on me. Join us on Saturday, 14 March 2020 at the Downtown Lansing Library. On Saturdays street parking is free and there is a lot behind the library with entrances on Washington and Kalamazoo that’s also free. Join us!

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March 1, 2019

I survived January and February… barely.

Posted by JessLibrarian under Classes/Workshops | Tags: , , , , , |
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It’s been a weather eventful winter here in Michigan and January and February felt like we were just hanging on for dear life. But in the background plans were being made. So, stay tuned for a number of event announcements, starting with this one (below) put on annually but my local library system, Capital Area District Libraries. There are sessions for all skill levels and time for discussion with fellow researchers. Follow this link for a pdf of the handout: Family History Open House 2019 Final.

Join us!

Jess

FamilyHistoryOpenHouse

 

February 15, 2017

CADL Family History Open House 2017

Posted by JessLibrarian under Classes/Workshops, How To's/Advice | Tags: , |
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openhouse2017

Hi all,

The South Lansing Library will be keeping the tradition alive this year (as Downtown Lansing Library is still closed for Renovations) by hosting CADL’s Family History Open House celebrating National Genealogy Day on March 11th from 10-4 pm.

Highlights include:

  • Breaking Down Brick Wall Using DNA presented by Bethany Waterbury
  • Crowdsourcing Your Genealogy presented by Dan Earl
  • One-on-one appointments with Librarians to help devise research plans to help break through on your own research–DEADLINE to reserve your appointment is February 18th.

Check out the flyer here: family-history-open-house-2017

I’ll remind you all again about the program, but don’t miss the opportunity to have our avid genies on staff take a pass on one of your problem areas in your  research… sometimes all we need is a fresh perspective to break through those brickwalls.

Happy hunting,

Jess

 

October 18, 2016

It’s Still Family History Month

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You’ve got some time yet… It’s still Family History Month, which means there are tons of genealogy educational opportunities stretching right into November. And (yes, you’ve heard this from me before) I strongly encourage everyone to get out and attend as many of them as you can. I always, always, learn something new—whether I’m attending or presenting.

For example, I had a wonderful experience presenting in Fort Wayne as part of ACPL’s Genealogy Center’s 31 days of genealogy programming last week, but my evening session looking at my experiences and approach to researching my African American ancestry led to a total change in my research plans for the next day when one of the attendees pointed out a resource I hadn’t realized the Center held—Thank you Roberta, Melissa, and Cynthia each for pointing me in the right direction! I will be transcribing Bradley County slave related court documents for weeks.

raceslaverysnip

Then, on Saturday, I attended Western Michigan Genealogical Society’s annual Got Ancestors! program. This year’s featured speaker was Cyndi Ingle of Cyndi’s List and I got a great deal out of her programs “Striking Out on Their Own: Online Migration Tools and Resources” and “Building a Digital Research Plan.” The first offered a neat list of mapping resources I haven’t tried while the other offered a nice focused approach for laying out a research plan. But the day was also just a fun one for connecting with people and trading ideas.

I have no doubt that you can look around your community and find genealogy events, but if you’re in my neck of the woods here’s a sampling of some of the great family history related programming you can still catch:

On Saturday, October 23rd, CADL South Lansing Library will be hosting “Family History Hunt” a Genealogy Roadshow-inspired presentation with patrons tapping your friendly local librarian’s for suggestions on where to turn next in their research.

Consider the possibilities offered by a two hour drive down to the ACPL’s Genealogy Center… There are still 14 more days of programs including, “A  Day with Juliana Szucs” (from Ancestry.com) this Saturday, October 22nd, or their Midnight Madness extended research hours on October 28th including three 30 minute classes. For more information on programs, check out their calendar.

Western Wayne County Genealogical Society has a day seminar on November 5th with topics including organizing your records and planning a research trip.

The Michigan Genealogical Council’s annual fall seminar will feature DNA expert, Blaine Bettinger speaking on assorted genetic genealogy related topics, along with bunch of other great presenters.

Take advantage of these great programs! Step away from the computer and go learn something new!

Happy hunting!

Jess

 

February 22, 2016

CADL’s Family History Open House

Posted by JessLibrarian under Classes/Workshops | Tags: , , |
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CADLFamilyHistoryOpenHouseOkay… a lot of my time has been taken up by planning (all sorts of things) but this event is near and dear to my heart and I want to thank everyone who’s signed up to help ahead of time—especially my co-workers and fellow presenters Anne, Jeff, and Cassie!

My library will be hosting a Family History Open House on March 12th in celebration of National Genealogy Day. CADL’s blog has a post with even more details but suffice to say it’s free and open to the public, there’s a lot going on, and I believe a good time will be had by all!

Happy hunting and if you’re in the area come hang out with us!

Jess