October 2022
In recognition of Family-History Month in October, Fort Bend County Libraries’ Genealogy and Local History Department at George Memorial Library in Richmond will join the Genealogy Network of Texas (GNT) in a state-wide, collaborative Genealogy Lock-In for family-history buffs on Friday, October 21, from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm, in the Meeting Room of the library.
A series of teleconferences with topics of interest to family-history researchers will be live-streamed throughout the day. Participants may attend to view all the sessions, or they may choose to view individual sessions. Lunch is not included, but those attending the workshop are welcome to bring a lunch with them.
The schedule is as follows:
- 10:30-11:30 am – “Choosing Genealogy Services & Software,” presented by family historian Tony Hanson. This intermediate-level presentation will provide an overview of the capabilities offered by services such as online genealogical resources, genetic DNA testing, and family-tree software providers. Participants will gain a better understanding of these services and be able to make informed choices from the wide range of options that are currently available.
- 11:40 am-12:40 pm – “Making the Allen County (Indiana) Public Library Genealogy Center Your Research Assistant,” presented by Curt Witcher, Genealogy Center Manager and Director of Special Collections at Allen County Public Library. This beginner-level presentation will provide an up-close look at the resources of this national family-history collection. The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, IN, is the second largest family research center in the United States. Visitors from across the country and around the world rely on the Genealogy Center for its international collection of physical resources, free access to numerous databases, and knowledgeable staff.
- 12:50-1:50 pm – “Improve, Expand, and Enrich Your Family Tree – with Tax Records!” presented by family historian Doug Waggoner. In this beginner-level presentation, learn how to use tax records to find new relatives, differentiate between people with similar names, and break through brick walls. Discover how tax records can be used to unearth details about where and how one’s ancestors lived.
- 2:00-3:00 pm – “United States Migration Patterns: Why They Left, Where They Went, & the Stories They Left Behind,” presented by LeAnne McCamey, professional genealogist, author, and owner of American Genealogical Research Services. This intermediate-level presentation will provide a broad overview of migratory patterns of immigrants. Learn how studying and understanding migration can help add context to one’s ancestors’ movements. The four distinct migration time periods are briefly addressed, in addition to the reasons that people migrated. Get tips on how to find documents and records they left behind during their migration. Instruction is given on the methodology of developing a migratory tracing of an individual or family.
- 3:10-4:30 pm – “How to Approach & Solve Brick-Wall Problems with DNA,” presented by Sara Allen, Senior Librarian at Allen County (IN) Public Library’s Genealogy Center. This intermediate-level presentation will address how to use DNA results to solve brick-wall problems in genealogy research. Hear about the best DNA tests to use for different problems. Hear about different case studies that utilize these strategies.
Spearheaded by the Genealogy Center of the Waco-McClennan County Library, the Genealogy Network of Texas is a state-wide initiative to provide educational and research opportunities for libraries and genealogists.
The workshop is sponsored by the Genealogy Center of the Waco-McLennan County Library and the Central Texas Genealogical Society, and it is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, however, and reservations are required. To register online, click here. Participants may also register by calling the library’s Local History and Genealogy Department at 281-341-2608.