BOSTON, MA – September 12, 2023 – The Boston Public Library today announced its Fall Genealogy Series, offering a range of workshops and lectures to help patrons uncover their family history. The events will be held virtually via Zoom. Patrons can learn more and register at the links below and at bpl.org/events, opens a new window.
The event series includes:
September 20: Getting Started in Native American Genealogical Research for Massachusetts
- This lecture by Genealogist David Allen Lambert will cover an overview of sources and documents from the tribal history research into the Massachuset-Punkapoag tribal genealogy. Attendees will learn about the 1861 Earle Report enumerating all the Native Americans in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
September 21: Genealogy: Using Ancestry Library Edition
- This class will provide a brief overview of how to use Ancestry Library Edition, which is available at all BPL locations. Ancestry.com is one of the world's largest genealogy databases, holding billions of global records.
October 11: Putting Family History on the Map
- Join Ian Spangler and Megan Nally from the Leventhal Map & Education Center as they discuss the use of historic maps for genealogical research. They will provide a demo of Leventhal Center's Atlascope tool, which overlays historic maps on top of modern-day ones to easily compare past and present.
October 19: Genealogy: Using Church & Cemetery Records to Research Your Ancestors
- This class will provide a brief overview of where to find and how to access church records in Massachusetts, with an emphasis on Boston. Church records can often be a valuable substitute for or supplement to government produced vital records.
November 8: Genealogy: Using Newspapers to Research Your Ancestors
- This class will provide information about how to use newspapers for family history research, with a focus on resources that can be accessed online via a BPL database or the Internet.
November 30: Naturalization Know-How: The Laws and Records of U.S. Citizenship
- Learn about records for immigrant ancestors and how to find them in this lecture by Rich Venezia, an expert in the research of 20th-century immigrant ancestors, especially in underutilized record sources and federal records.
December 14: Jewish Genealogy 101
- This presentation provides fundamental skills to conduct Jewish genealogical research. Strategies to locate ancestral origins and understand nuances found in Jewish genealogy will be discussed with Dr. Adina Newman, a specialist in Jewish genetic genealogy and trained educator who lectures on various genealogical topics related to Jewish genealogy, DNA, New England, and more.
December 20: Genealogy: Using Vital Records to Research Your Ancestors
- This class will provide information about what vital records are, how they are useful, and how to access them. We will be focusing primarily on accessing vital records in Massachusetts.
For a full list of genealogy events visit bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/search/q=genealogy, and for all BPL events visit bpl.org/events. To Learn more about the BPL’s Research Services Department visit this link.
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ABOUT THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library is a pioneer of public library service in America. It was the first large, free municipal library in the United States; the first public library to lend books; the first to have a branch library; and the first to have a children’s room.
The Boston Public Library of today is a robust system that includes the Central Library in Copley Square, 25 neighborhood branches, the Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center, the Kirstein Business and Innovation Center, and an archival center, offering public access to world-class special collections of rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and prints, along with rich digital content and online services.
The Boston Public Library serves nearly 4 million visitors per year and millions more online. All of its programs and exhibitions are free to all and open to the public. The Boston Public Library is a department of the City of Boston, under the leadership of Mayor Michelle Wu. To learn more, visit bpl.org.
