Family History Month Proclamation

Today, at the request of Betty Reed and members of the Southern Genealogist's Exchange Society, Mayor John Peyton proclaimed October as Family History Month in Jacksonville. The ceremony was held at City Hall and was attended by representatives of the SGES and Jacksonville Public Library. We are all very excited to see Family History Month officially recognized in our city. Thanks to Betty and the SGES for making this happen. To view the full text of the proclamation, click on the image at the left.

ILL Tips for Genealogists

Recently, JPL's Special Services manager, Heather Campbell, reminded me of a frequently asked question regarding Interlibrary Loan. She offers some helpful advice about how to get around this problem and obtain the information you are seeking.

Q: I'm trying to trace my family tree. I found the title of a book that may be helpful but wasn't able to borrow it through Interlibrary Loan. The reason the lady gave me was that libraries wouldn't loan it. How can I get this book through Interlibrary Loan?

A: Many libraries keep their genealogy books in a special reference collection that cannot be checked out to anyone. A few libraries will lend genealogy books if they have extra copies of the title. There's no way to tell ahead of time.

So, how do you get the information you need? Submit an ILL copy request for information from the book. You can ask for copies of pages from the book dealing with the specific ancestor or specific family name you're looking for.

1. You would enter this information in the Photocopy form in your Customer Interface account.
2. The name of the book would go in the Title space.
3. The Article Author would be the author of the book, in most cases.
4. The information you're looking for would go in the Article Title space. You will have a greater chance for success in getting what you're looking for if you are as specific as possible about what you're looking for. For example- if you entered : "I'm looking for James William Hill. Born 1876. Died 1914. ", you would have more success than if you entered: "I'm looking for Jimmy Hill."
5. Please limit each request to one name.

You may be pleasantly surprised. In some cases, we've asked for a photocopy and the owning library lent the book for use in the library only.

Upcoming AncestryLibrary Edition class

I will be conducting a class on how to use the databases available through the AncestryLibrary Edition. The class will be on Saturday, October 4, 2008, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. Prior experience on how to navigate around Windows and an Internet browser is highly advised, as this is not a class on how to use the computer, but how to use a sophisticated website/database. The class is limited to no more than 16 people, due to the numbers of computers available. You can register by calling 630-2409.

FAMILY HISTORY MONTH

As most of you may know, October is "Family History Month". Many individuals and families will be celebrating this month with events, such as family reunions. In addition to family reunions, listed here are a few activities that you and/or your family might find interesting.

1. Start a Family History Family Tree Chart

This activity will get the research pistons going by allowing you to think about the members of your family in a new way. It may spark memories of aunts, uncles, grandparents, and other relatives who might be excellent sources of information regarding the family. These relatives may not live in the same town, but may be contacted by phone, email, or post. This also provides the opportunity for a fun "road-trip".

2. Organize and host a Family Potluck or Cook-Out Event

This activity is less formal and requires far less preparations than an official Family Reunion. The Potluck lunch or cook-out would be an invitation to immediate and extended family members living in the same area, town, city, or county. Everyone would bring a dish and the expectation of having a good time, which will foster establishing and reestablishing connections with folks they have not seen in awhile. Sometimes family members may live in the same area and go without seeing one another for months or even longer.

3. Create a Family MySpace or Social Networking Account and Share with Family

This web resource may provide another means of connecting with family members - no matter where they are located. It also provides the opportunity to share family histories, stories, and/or upcoming events & activities, such as family reunions. In addition, you may share family photos and momentos electronically; thus enhancing the experience and research.

4. Start a Family History Book Club

Book clubs are a splendid way to bring people together. It allows individuals to share ideas and perspectives, as well as opionions involving a particular title, author, event, or subject. For example, the book entitled, Genealogy for the first time: research your family history is a good book with which to begin. Those who have experience conducting genealogy research will be able to provide insight and experience at the discussion. In addition, the book titles do not have to be about conducting research, they could be titles centering on historical or literary figures that help to shape the lives of our ancestors, such as "Gone With the Wind", "Uncle Tom's Cabin", and many others. Even if the title does not have anything to do with history, events, or people, that's okay. If its fun and it brings the family together, you've started a family tradition. The idea is to bring family together and to have fun while doing so.

These are just a few ideas to celebrate Family History Month. There are many others. Let the sky be your limit.

For Those Who Adore Quilts and Quilting

The Daughters of the American Revolution will exhibit quilts at the Internatioanl Quilt Festival. The festival is scheduled to be held on October 30th through November 2nd, 2008 in Houston Texas. The location is the George R. Brown Convention Center. For more information regarding this event, please visit http://www.quilts.com. Also, you may read more about celebrating Quilt Art in the September/October 2008 issue of "American Spirit". This issue is held in the genealogy periodical collection on the fourth floor of the Main Library downtown.

Tell Us Your Genealogy Story

I've always been fascinated by the interesting stories that people share with one another. For example, how we chose our profession, why we married the person we did, why we chose to attend this particular school as oppose to other schools to name a few. There are many people with many wonderful acounts of various aspects of their lives and experiences. Some will make you laugh hysterically; others may bring a heart-warming tear to your eye. The reason(s) behind your family history research may be no exception, and we would love to hear them. Therefore, if you would like to share your family history story, we encourage you to do so. You may submit your story via this post or send us an email at genealogy@coj.net.

Genealogy 101 Classes

For those who like to plan in advance, we are pleased to announce the upcoming schedule for our "Genealogy for Beginners" class. The first class will be held on Saturday, November 8th, 2008 at the Main Library downtown. The class time is from 10:00am to 11:00am and will be conducted in the Electronic classroom on the 1st floor.

This class also will be held on the following dates:

• February 21st, 2009
• May 16th, 2009
• August 15th, 2009
• November 7th, 2009

This is a lecture class with a Powerpoint presentation. The class is designed to assist those are considering tracing their family history and those who are just starting out. Even seasoned family history researchers may find the session to be a refresher course.

"Celebrating Family History" Seminar

On Saturday, October 11th, Jacksonville Public Library and the Southern Genealogists Exchange Society, Inc. will co-present an all-day seminar “Celebrating Family History.”

Location: Multipurpose Room #1, Conference Level, Main Library
Time: Registration begins @ 9:00 a.m.
Morning session: 9:30 a.m. – noon
Afternoon session: 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Speakers & Topics (in this order):
Jon Ferguson -- "Where Might My Family Be Hiding In The Courthouse?"
Karen Rhodes -- "Quirks of the Florida Census"
Jim Vearil -- "The War and Its Hardship: Using Social History to Understand the Impact of the Civil War on a Florida Family."
Dick Cardell -- "Documentation, Proving the old Family Stories"

The event is free of charge. Pre-register to avoid the line and receive forward seating in the seminar. You can pre-register at the SGES website (http://www.sgesjax.com/) or by calling 778-100.