Genealogy Workshop Series

The online genealogy workshop series was designed to introduce research methods and resources to Dames and Candidates through a series of presentations by Caron Primas Brennan.    Ms. Brennan is a frequent speaker on genealogy at local libraries and genealogical societies. She has taught at the Newberry since 2009 and is a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild and the Association of Professional Genealogists.

Geared to all levels of expertise, these sessions explored leveraging best research practices and offered advice on how to organize findings. This series was presented in six segments, along with course video recordings and reading materials: Foundations of Genealogy Research, Using Familysearch.org, Using the Family Search Wiki and Family Tree, Tips & Tricks to Get the Most From Ancestry.com, Researching Your Family History Using the Internet, and Organizing for Genealogists.  These effectively covered the use of oral history, vital records (e.g. birth, death, and marriage records), church records, census records, and electronic access to guides and records to conduct additional family history research and navigate ancestral bearings.

Delving into such records to explore family history can be an immensely satisfying and rewarding experience. Our thanks to Registrar Courtenay Wood, Program Chair Laurel Gray, and Candidates’ Helper Committee Chair Julia Jackson for bringing the Illinois Society this engaging series of workshops to help with family history quests.