Genealogy Workshops in January at the Central Library

With 2018 underway, the Birmingham Public Library’s Southern History Department is making a few changes to dates of its popular genealogy workshops, but also added a few new classes.

The Introduction to Genealogy classes will be moving to Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. The Beyond the Basics of Genealogy workshops will now be held on Sunday afternoons.

Below is a listing of upcoming workshops the Southern History Department will be hosting. Workshops are free of charge but registration is requested (with the exception of the Introduction to Genealogy classes). Register online through the BPL events calendar or call 205-226-3665.

January 13, 10:00-11:00 a.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. No registration required.

January 22, 2:15-3:15 p.m., Central Library/Computer Lab
Your Tax Dollars at Work: Using Government Websites for Genealogy Research – Many government agencies offer resources for genealogical research. Learn how to look beyond census records and find genealogical information in some truly surprising places. You can search for service records and land grants, view web tutorials, and much more using free websites from the state and federal government. To register, please call 205-226-3680.

January 24, 3:00-4:00 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. No registration required.

Beyond the Basics of Genealogy workshop schedule for 2018

February 25, 2:30 p.m., Central Library/Arrington Auditorium
The Beyond Kin Project: Making the Slave Connection – Project cofounders Donna Cox Baker and Frazine K. Taylor will teach a software method and research techniques for handling the unique complexities of plantation genealogy. Descendants of both slaveholders and enslaved persons will learn how to find and account for the under-documented and often nameless plantation members using common genealogy tools.

March 25, 2:30 p.m., Central Library/Arrington Auditorium
Nosing Around in Newspapers
Newspapers can be a genealogist’s best friend with the wealth of information found within its pages, but also a frustrating source. Learn how to locate the newspapers you need and how to efficiently search them to discover everything from an obituary to a scandalous news story involving your ancestor.

April 15, 2:30 p.m., Central Library/Arrington Auditorium
Understanding DNA Ethnicity Test Results
Discover how DNA testing companies determine ethnicity percentages and what these estimates mean in terms of your genealogy.

May 20, 2:30 p.m., Central Library/Arrington Auditorium
“Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier”: Military Records in Family History Research
Did one of your ancestors go to war? Explore the major repositories and databases for military records and discover how they can contribute vital information for your family history research.

For more information about BPL’s Southern History Department, go to www.bplonline.org/locations/central/southern/ or like its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SouthernHistoryBPL.