Southern History Department Hosting Several Genealogy Workshops in February

Children riding amusement park airplanes at East Lake Park
Birmingham, Alabama, 1954
Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections

The Southern History Department, housed in the Linn-Henley Research Library of the Central Library, is taking its popular genealogy workshops on the road during the month of February.

Upcoming programs on how to research your ancestry will take place this month at the Bessemer Public Library, Homewood Public Library, Leeds Public Library, and two Birmingham Public Library locations, North Avondale and Wylam.

If you desire to learn more about how to research your family tree, mark your calendar for the following programs below:

Saturday, February, 11, 11:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Central Library, Arrington Auditorium
18th Annual Black Heritage and Genealogy Fair – This event encourages African Americans to research their family history and features presentations, displays, music, art, and dance. Jackie Smith of the Jefferson County Board of Education will be speaking on the crisis in black education. The free fair is sponsored by the Birmingham African American Genealogy Group, Inc.

Tuesday, February 14, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Central Library, Southern History Department
Introduction to Genealogy – Want to learn how to do genealogical research? Come to this introductory class that will help get you started on your genealogical journey.

Tuesday, February 14, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Homewood Public Library
Nonpopulation Schedules: A Sensible Guide to the Rest of the Census – Want to gather even more information from census records? This class will introduce you to non-population schedules (agricultural census, mortality schedules, social schedules, and even state censuses) and allow you to create a more complete record of your ancestors and the times in which they lived. This class will meet at Homewood Public Library in Room 101 (Lower Level). Register online through the Homewood Public Library event calendar or call 205-332-6620.

Wednesday, February 15, 10:30-11:30 a.m., North Avondale Branch Library
Ancestry.com Library Edition – Participants will be introduced to Ancestry.com Library Edition database in which you can research your family history as well as learn how to search this database to locate your ancestors. Registration is required as space is limited. Register online through the BPL event calendar or call 205-592-2082.

Wednesday, February 22, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Central Library, Regional Library Computer Center
FindMyPast – This hands-on class will introduce you to Findmypast, our newest genealogy database. Findmypast is an ever-expanding collection of over 2 billion historical records from around the world. We will cover some of the most popular record collections and tips on how to make your database searches more effective. Registration is required as space is limited. Register online through the BPL event calendar or call 205-226-3680.

Thursday, February 23, Leeds Public Library
Introduction to Genealogy – Want to learn how to do genealogical research? Come to this introductory class that will help get you started on your genealogical journey. For more information or directions, please call the Leeds Public Library at 205-699-5962.

Sunday, February 26, 2:30-3:30 p.m., Central Library, Southern History Department
Introduction to Genealogy – Want to learn how to do genealogical research? Come to this introductory class that will help get you started on your genealogical journey. This class meets on the first floor of the Linn-Henley building in the Southern History Department.

Mark your calendars for the 2017 Beyond the Basics of Genealogy workshop schedule.

Saturday, March 4, 10:00 a.m., Central Library, Arrington Auditorium
Digital Dixie 2 – Do you have ancestors from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, or Texas? In this class, you will discover digital genealogy resources that you never knew existed from these Southern states and learn search strategies to find untapped information and locate your ancestor. Registration is requested as space is limited. Register online through the BPL event calendar or call 205-226-3665.

Saturday, April 8, 10:00 a.m., Central Library, Arrington Auditorium
Making Your Sweet Home among Maps: How to Read and Interpret Maps of the Southeastern United States – Do old maps enchant or intimidate you? Do the symbols intrigue or confuse you? This hands-on workshop explores the symbols and mapping conventions used on 19th and early 20th century maps to tell the story of the development of the Southeast. Students will learn how to interpret and analyze information contained on old maps as well as look for hidden meaning behind what was mapped and what was left off the map. Registration is requested as space is limited. Register online through the BPL event calendar or call 205-226-3665.

Saturday, June 24, 10:00 a.m., Central Library, Arrington Auditorium
One for the Record Books: The English Census – Searching for English ancestors? Genealogists know that census records are crucial to family history research, but there are some important differences between the U.S. Federal Census and its English cousin. This workshop will show you how to navigate this important information source. Registration is requested as space is limited. Register online through the BPL event calendar or call 205-226-3665.