Are You Ready?

The month of October is always wonderful in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Between the fall colors, the cooling temperatures, the wonderful groups who visit, and of course, the events at The Genealogy Center, we have 31 days of research fun planned. Woven within our various offerings are several special programs that might entice a visit.

Every Tuesday (10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26) from 2:00-4:00 pm, we are offering 30 minute one-on-one consultations with our staff concerning your research problems. Please email your consultation request or call 260-421-1225 to schedule your appointment.

On Friday & Saturday, 10/8-10/9, the 3rd Annual Military Symposium will feature national speaker, Amy Johnson Crow, who will present The Last Full Measure: Military Burials, Researching Your Civil War Ancestors Online, State and Local Records for Civil War Research, After Mustering Out: Researching Civil War Veterans, and For Benefit of the Soldier: Civil War Fraternal Organizations. Registration is required.

The last Friday of the month, October 29, we are celebrating Family History Month with our annual Midnight Madness. From 6:00 pm to midnight, researchers will have six extra hours to delve into the Center’s collections.

Friday, October 29, through Sunday, October 31, researchers are invited to participate in Start Sharing the News! A Celebration of Collaboration. It begins Friday with a dinner at the historic Baker Street Station, followed by multiple sessions on Saturday, ending with a tour of the Lindenwood Cemetery on Sunday. Registration is required.

Take time now to schedule your trip(s) to Fort Wayne to take advantage of all these opportunities.

Beyond the Basics Mini-Course Update

The waiting list for the September 17-18, 2010 Beyond the Basics Mini-Course is now closed. While we are disappointed that everyone who has expressed an interest cannot attend, we are very pleased with the high demand. We hope to offer this course again soon. Keep watching!

Family History Month Is Coming!

The Genealogy Center is again planning 31 days of research enjoyment and education for your genealogical gratification! As usual, we have something planned for each day, but this year, we’ve divided the month into sections highlighting different aspects of research.

• General Week, October 1st through 9th, will include a beginning genealogy workshop, classes on land records and Genealogy Center basics, and will finish with the third annual Military Symposium.
• Preservation Week, October 10th through 16th, will offer classes on preservation, scrapbooking, scanning, as well as a basic lecture on wiring a family history.
• Technology Week, October 17th through 23rd, will provide information on useful websites and databases, as well the use of Adobe Elements software and creating a family website.
• Death Week, October 24th through 31st, will highlight death records, obituaries, haunted sites in Fort Wayne, Midnight Madness Extended Research Hours on Friday, and will end with a bang with the Cemetery Seeker’s Start Sharing the News! three day conference.

And every Tuesday afternoon, Genealogy Center staff will offer 30 minute one-on-one consultations to advise you on your knottiest research problems.

For class descriptions and registration information, check our calendar, then mark yours to take part in this exciting month!

Welcome StoryCorps!

The StoryCorps MobileBooth across Washington Blvd. from the Allen County Public Library, July 7, 2010.

Since 2003, more than 50,000 people have had their stories recorded by StoryCorps and preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, and millions have heard some of these stories over National Public Radio stations. With the stated mission of providing Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs the opportunity to record, share and preserve their stories, StoryCorps uses everyday people to record 40-minute interviews with their friends, family and neighbors. Sponsored by Northeast Indiana Public Radio, the StoryCorp MobileBooth is now parked in the ACPL parking lot and area residents are busily interviewing friends and family for archiving! In celebration of their visit, the Genealogy Center presented The Basics of Scanning today, the first of four lectures on preserving your family’s story, and it was a rousing success as attendees received information on how to digitize and preserve photographs. Check our Special Programs page for more information about the rest of the lectures.

Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War

The traveling exhibition “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War” will be available for your viewing pleasure in the Genealogy Center June 18 to July 30, 2010. The Opening Reception will be at Saturday, June 19, at 7 PM in Meeting Room A of the Main Library, with speakers Jason Jividen, Sara Gabbard, and Katherine Tinsely. Other events highlighting the exhibition include:

• “Learn about the Library’s Lincoln Financial Collection,” elementary school age tour, Children’s Services, July 14, 2010, 2 PM.
• “Abraham Lincoln in Song,” presented by Chris Vallillo, Main Library Theater, Lower Level 2, July 16, 2010, 2 PM.
• Movie Night: “Glory,” Main Library Theater, Lower Level 2, July 20, 2010, 6:30 PPM.
• “Young Adults Visit the Library’s Lincoln Financial Collection,” middle and high school age tour, Young Adults’ Services, July 23, 2010, 2 PM.

Genealogy @ Night

Summer is around the corner and with it comes Genealogy @ Night. Don’t let the name mislead you. We’ll make use of the long daylight hours and increase your genealogical research knowledge. In June, July, and August, lectures will be offered on the third Tuesdays of each month from 6:30 PM -7:30 PM. Our first offering is Cynthia Theusch on “French Canadian Research at ACPL” on June 15. On July 20, John Beatty will present “Researching Indiana Court Records,” followed by Dawne Slater‑Putt with “Cataloging 3‑D Items & Heirlooms” on August 17. Look for more information at our Website and remember to register via email to Genealogy@ACPL.Info or by phone at 260‑421‑1225. Plan to visit us in the evenings this summer!

Preservation Week

Next week is the American Library Association’s Preservation Week, and the Genealogy Center is offering daily programs on gathering, organizing and preserving family records, photos and other precious mementos:

• Monday May 10: Photo Restoration Using Adobe Photoshop, presented by Kay Spears, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM, Globe Room
• Tuesday May 11: Preservation Tips & Tools, presented by Rebecca Schipper, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Globe Room
• Wednesday May 12: Organizing Information: Hard Copies, Computer Files, Pictures, etc., presented by Dawne Slater-Putt, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, Meeting Room A
• Thursday May 13: Preserving Your Family History — A Practical Overview presented by Curt Witcher (Part One: Basic Information to Preserve, Conserve, and Store Family Heirlooms & Documents; Part Two: Writing & Recording Your Family Stories) 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM, Globe Room
• Friday May 14: Basics of Scanning presented by Kay Spears, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM, Globe Room
• Saturday May 15: Searching Ancestry.com, presented by Delia Bourne 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Meeting Room A

Call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info to register.

Tour, Tour, Tour

Are you interested in learning what is available at the Genealogy Center? Would you like to have someone explain how the Genealogy Center is organized or how to access material? Join us for a tour and get an insider’s view of the Genealogy Center on Sunday, April 25, from 1:00-2:00.

Call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info to register.

Celebrate Preservation Week!

Come to the library in May to celebrate the American Library Association’s Preservation Week. The Genealogy Center will offer a variety of programs on gathering, organizing and preserving family records, photos and memorabilia. Find other ideas at the Preservation Week website. Events include:

Monday May 10, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Globe Room
Photo Restoration Using Adobe Photoshop
Kay Spears
(Basic computer knowledge helpful)

Tuesday May 11, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Globe Room
Preservation Tips & Tools
Rebecca Schipper

Wednesday May 12, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Meeting Room A
Organizing Information: Hard Copies, Computer Files, Pictures, etc.
Dawne Slater-Putt
(Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana monthly meeting; visitors welcome)

Thursday May 13, 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM Globe Room
Preserving Your Family History–A Practical Overview
Curt Witcher
Part One: Basic Information to Preserve, Conserve, and Store Family Heirlooms & Documents
Part Two: Writing & Recording Your Family Stories

Friday May 14, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Globe Room
Basics of Scanning
Kay Spears
(Basic computer knowledge helpful)

Saturday May 15, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Meeting Room A
Searching Ancestry.com
Delia Bourne
(Part of Tree Talks)

For more information, visit our website, and register via email Genealogy@ACPL.Info or by calling 260 421 1225. Join us to learn about preserving your valuable family mementoes.

IGS Conference Wrap-Up

by Dawne

A celebratory air was evident this past Saturday as the Allen County Public Library hosted the Indiana Genealogical Society’s annual conference. Dick Eastman was the featured speaker and presented four well-received lectures on technological topics. In addition, Ron Darrah of Indianapolis and Melissa Shimkus, reference librarian for the Genealogy Center, spoke on immigration topics; Curt Witcher, Genealogy Center manager, gave a presentation on ACPL’s digital initiatives; and Kay Spears, also of the Genealogy Center, gave a real-time demonstration of Adobe Photoshop.

Friday, the library was the site of a pre-conference seminar featuring four sessions on preservation topics, from the personal level to the archives level. Many genealogists in town for Friday’s seminar, or arriving Friday night in anticipation of Saturday’s conference, took advantage of the Genealogy Center’s extended hours from 6 p.m. to midnight. It was every genealogist’s dream – to be locked in the Genealogy Center after closing!

IGS’s Society of Civil War Families of Indiana held its induction ceremony mid-day on Saturday. Three ladies who successfully proved their ancestry back to a soldier who served in an Indiana Civil War unit were welcomed into the society, and two members who had proved supplemental lines to soldiers also were recognized. The SCWFI ceremony was followed by the IGS annual meeting, including President Curt Witcher’s “state of the society” address, awards and door prizes. One lucky soul won a year’s subscription to Ancestry.com!

Attendees summed up the experience in their evaluations: “Great day! The vendors exhibition was nice … a good variety. ACPL was a great location, too.” “Wonderful facility! Great programs!!” “Very informative sessions – Glad I came.”

As staff of the Genealogy Center, we echo their sentiments … it was a great day … the vendors had “good stuff” … the sessions were informative … and we are very glad everyone came!