genealogy

genealogy

Family Research Tools

Family Research Tools

, , Programs, Research, Uncategorized
Every family has a story to tell.  Sometimes, however, those stories are found only through research and study.  Libraries have a variety of resources to assist. To highlight strategies for family research, the IU East Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the Campus Library are hosting a workshop with Thomas Hamm, Professor of History and Quaker Scholar in Residence at Earlham College.  Campus and community members are welcome to attend on Tuesday, September 13 at 2:00 PM in the Community Engagement Commons, located in the IU East Library, Hayes Hall. Genealogy is the study of generations, particularly of a family.  It involves the use of several different tools, such as censuses, newspaper searches, and databases, to discover the full … Continued
Celebrating family history

Celebrating family history

, , Frances Yates, Library Resources
The U.S. Senate passed a resolution in 2001 to establish October as Family History Month. In the FamilySearch blog “Why We Need Family History Now More Than Ever” Rachel Coleman explains that “Knowing our cultural background and where we came from can help us develop a strong sense of who we really are. The way we relate to our family stories and create our own narratives about ourselves helps establish our unique, authentic core identity.” She also discusses the benefits of family history sharing in terms of connection, resilience, selflessness and self-worth. FamilySearch.org is the largest free genealogical database in the world, containing more than 3 billion names. In addition to research, they offer an option to create a free … Continued
My Quest on Heritage Quest

My Quest on Heritage Quest

, , Library Resources, Research
This year’s One Book selection, The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf, traces both the life of Khadra Shamy and that of her family, going back two generations. A key moment in the book covers Khadra’s visit to Syria, where she meets with her aunt Teta and learns more about her family history. Here on campus, we can help you with the same research. All IU East students, faculty and staff have access to Heritage Quest, a rich resource full of census records, city directories, family trees and other related genealogical materials. Heritage Quest, powered by ProQuest and Ancestry.com, can help you discover your background – even the stories that your family has held true for generations. I decided to check … Continued
Finding Your Past

Finding Your Past

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
In A Chance in the World, this year’s One Book, Steve Pemberton recounts his history as an orphan in the foster care system. Untethered from any roots, he conducted a search for his birth family and located his grandparents and all four of his siblings, who had been fostered with different families.  The experience was part of a long effort to reconcile his personal identity. Most of us don’t face nearly the same challenge in identifying our family, but even so, how many of us can go much further back than our great-grandparents? Genealogy is the search for our roots, building a family tree of names, dates, and history that shaped how we came into this world. And it can … Continued
New Information in Genealogy

New Information in Genealogy

, Marcia Sloan 0 Comments
The Indiana State Library has recently hosted two genealogy workshops.  This fall the Indiana Genealogy and Local History Fair had vendors selling county history books, introductions to county libraries, and genealogy supply vendors.  The best part, this year, were the three speakers.  The first speaker, Marianne S. Wokeck, gave a presentation on “What Was in it for Women? The Role of Female Immigrants and Settlers.”  The second speaker, Dani Pfaff, gave a presentation called “Indiana Land Records: Not for the Faint of Heart.”  After lunch the third speaker, Andrew Kossack, spoke on “Access to Public Records Act Essentials.” While the speakers were there to talk about genealogy, I found that most of their information would fit in with some of … Continued