October is Family History Month

Family History Month kicks off in October at the California Genealogical Society!  Are you ready?

If you haven't been either in a while or ever, take the time to plan a visit today and see what our library has to offer you. Explore our wonderful genealogy collections and resources for free during the month of October.  Our hours are 10-4, Thursday through Saturday.  

Our library is located in the historic Breuner Building at 22nd Street & Broadway, one block north of the Paramount Theater, in uptown Oakland.  All classes (for which you must register) during October will be held here, unless specified.

Have you explored our City Directories?  It’s now a part of our main library with a collection of 6,000 city and telephone directories dating from the 1840s to the 1960s.

Our member volunteers have been lining up a month of special events and exciting classes. Please help us celebrate Family History Month by attending one of the many genealogy events we’ve highlighted below in the San Francisco Bay area:

Saturday, October 1st

1pm - 3pm  If you’re ready to find out your family’s story, then we’re here to help you. Register now for our Intro to Genealogy - First Saturday Free! class.

Image from www.nichibei.org

11am - 3pm  The California Genealogical Society (CGS) is participating in the Nikkei Pilgrimage to Angel Island.  This fun, all-day event is focused on the Japanese-American experience at the "Ellis Island of the West". CGS President Linda Harms Okazaki will present and then will be available to help people get started in their own research.  Our other volunteers helping are Todd Armstrong, Lisa Gorrell, Maureen Hanlon, Diana Edwards, James Russell, Stacy Hoover, Janice Sellers, and Adelle Treakle (all CGS members & genealogists).   

Presented by: the Nichi Bei Foundation in partnership with the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation & National Japanese American Historical Society.

Saturday, October 8th

10:00am - 11:30am  Attend the monthly meeting of the CGS Board of Directors that focuses on making our tagline, “helping people connect to their diverse family heritage” a reality.

12 noon - 3pm  Please come for the 2016 Genie Awards and noontime Fall Membership meeting in the CGS Library.  The Fall Membership meeting gives all of us the opportunity to “Join your CGS” friends for lunch, conversation, and celebrate our volunteer contributions.

The Genie Awards are not only an opportunity to thank our generous volunteers, but also for new and returning members to learn about ways (large and small) to help keep CGS alive and thriving.

The red carpet will be unrolled, our mystical master of ceremonies will be there with her gold lame' turban and magic lamps will be available for your three wishes!  Please bring your own lunch.  Dessert and beverages will be provided.

Saturday, October 15^th

10am - 11:30am  Our San Francisco Special Interest Group (SF-SIG) is led by Sandra Britt-Huber.  Topics include both pre & post 1906 time periods. Come & join us this month if you have an interest in San Francisco history and genealogy! Register here.

1pm to 4pm  Need an easier and better way to organize, find, and maintain all of your genealogy research?  Then come join our Family Tree Maker™ Special Interest Group (FTM-SIG) that’s devoted exclusively to better understanding and using this genealogy research organizational software program. Facilitators are Ron Madson and Karen Halfon. The topic for the October 15th meeting will be The Publishing Module, Part I.  Register here.

John Phillip Colletta, PhD
Photo from www.genealogyjohn.com

9am - 3:30pm  Our friends at The Contra Costa Genealogical Society are presenting famed genealogist, John Phillip Colletta, PhD in “Ancestors on the Move”.  It’s an all day seminar in Lafayette comprised of 4 lectures focused on immigration and naturalization.  He’s been described, “as one of America’s most popular genealogical & family lecturers” with his lectures being known for their warmth and humor.  Click here for details and registration information. 

Saturday, October 22^nd

1pm to 4pm  You may have been asking yourself, “I've tested. So how do I use the results?”  Well, we’ve got a class to help you get some answers.  Attend our You Have Your Ancestry DNA Results: Now What? class.  This has been revamped.  It's geared to those who have submitted DNA samples at Ancestry.com and want to know the best steps and strategies to make family connections from the results. Pam Miller is the instructor.  Register here.

9am-3pm  Spend the day in Menlo Park as our friends at the San Mateo Genealogical Society present Research Rewards from Paula Stuart-Warren with Paula Stuart-Warren, a nationally known professional genealogist.  This wonderful all-day seminar encompasses 4 interesting lectures and will help you become a better researcher.  Click here for details and registration information.

Tuesday, October 25^th

10:30am – 12pm is the California Historical Society Tour. Visit the California Historical Society (CHS) near Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco.  A CHS staff member will present a brief lecture and a viewing of selected items from their extensive collection.  

The California Historical Society represents a rich resource for family history research. What’s of particular interest to genealogists? Their treasure trove of early newspapers and periodicals, Gold Rush and Immigration collections which include diaries, photographs, journals, letters and much more.  Register here.

Saturday, October 29^th

1pm - 4pm  Similar to our class on the 22^nd that’s focused on DNA testing results from Ancestry.com, You’ve got Your Family Tree DNA or 23andMe DNA Results, Now What?, is a revamped class geared to those who have submitted DNA samples at FamilyTree DNA or 23andMe and want to know the best steps and strategies to make family connections from the results. Pam Miller is the instructor.  Register here.

Want more to choose from?  For a full listing of all Bay Area genealogy events, check the frequently updated San Francisco Bay Area Genealogy Calendar.

Get started today on your family history today and begin telling the stories of your family now and for generations to come.

Copyright © 2016 by California Genealogical Society

Back to School at the California Genealogical Society!

It's Back-to-School time at the California Genealogical Society!

Join us for a free introductory class on Saturday, October 1, 2015, from 1:00 until 3:00. You may register for this class on our Eventbrite page.

The class – Genealogy: An Introduction – is part of our monthly "First Saturdays Free" open house when we welcome non-members and the general public. We open the library and share our resources with anyone interested in learning more about their family history. The library is located in the historic Breuner Building at 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, in Oakland

The will focus of this class will be on basic research methods and terminology. Learn about common (and uncommon) family history records and the resources available, both online and in libraries, repositories, and archives. The two-hour session also includes a tour of the library and an overview of our extensive holdings. But don't think you have to be a beginner to benefit from the class! Our instructors do a great job of tailoring each session to the experience and needs of the participants so that everyone comes away with new knowledge.

If you have already taken this class or are ready for the next step, consider enrolling in the Beginning Series. There are two sessions offered in October, one on Wednesday afternoons and one on Saturday mornings. You can read more about these in our blog. For more details and to see a list of other upcoming classes, please visit our Eventbrite page. 

For more information about the California Genealogical Society, please visit our website or take a look at our most recent edition of the eNews.  

Our library is a benefit of membership and is available to non-members for a $5.00 day fee. However, the fee is always waived on the first Saturday of the month, as well as during October's Family History Month!

Fall 2015  introductory classes are as follows:
October 3: Pam Miller
November 7: Dick Rees
December 5: Diana Wild

Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society 

Extending your genealogical knowledge: thinking about interpretation

Where are you in terms of your genealogy and family history? What's your next step in better understanding the documents you've collected? Do you have a specific goal? 

Searching for clues in other resources. Lisa Gorrell at the SF Maritime Museum Library. Photo: Ellen Fernandez-Sacco

For many people, defining the answers to these questions can take several routes, from hiring our Research team, consulting the CGS Library or attending classes in person. There are many virtual options, a tendency that has increased with the changes in technology. Determining an area of focus for skill set or geographic area can lead you to new resources for taking your work further. 

While documents are central to genealogical practice, understanding the context for how those documents were created and used is also important.  I asked CGS member, lecturer and instructor Susan Goss Johnston, what should people keep in mind about how this context relates to their own family history? 

Susan agreed that while documents are central to genealogical research, she stressed that
"understanding the historic, legal and inherent context of those documents is not just important, it's essential. If a researcher doesn't understand the history behind a document's creation, he or she might not understand important events in an ancestor's life. If a researcher doesn't understand a document's legal context, they might misinterpret the true meaning of that document. If a researcher doesn't study that document in the context of other similar documents, they will miss important patterns and inferences not explicitly stated anywhere."

So, it's simply not enough to just have the documentation, but to also learn about these different facets, which can add so much more to your family history. Look at history written at different scales, the larger picture of events in the past, down to legal and social histories, or even material culture studies that can tell you more about life at that time. 

Some excellent approaches can include using the lists at H-Net (Humanities and Social Sciences Online) a nonprofit organization housed at the Wisconsin State University.  H-Net sponsors over 100 interactive newsletters (discussion boards) in order to advance teaching and research.  Its H-Net Reviews section is devoted to in depth reviews of publications that can be searched for specific topics relevant to doing genealogical research. For example, you can find recent reviews of books and exhibitions that you might have missed otherwise. 

Explore archival websites once you've charted a portion of your tree- you'll probably come away with some insights into the era your people were living in. DNA offers other routes to connect with relatives, now that testing has dramatically changed over the last five years. 

Consider a small study group, that meets in person or virtually, such as reading groups such as the NSGQ Study Groups [National Genealogical Society Quarterly] that meet online, or webinars. Tour local historical sites of interest with your genealogy society.  At CGS, we have SIGs (Special Interest Groups), so that people can systematically explore a topic together. Visit our Facebook page, blog and homepage and check for events of interest. 

Do you have an area of interest in genealogy or family history that you'd like to attend a discussion on? Contact us-- we're always looking for members and volunteers to delve into new areas of interest!

Copyright © 2014 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Ready, Set, Go: Family History Month’s Coming to Town!

by Shannon Reese

October’s just around the corner so get ready for Family History Month at the California Genealogical Society! 

For more than a decade, October has been celebrated among genealogy enthusiasts. As always, the society library will open its doors to the public during the month of October.

Are you new to family history research?  No worries, we waive the library usage fee for non-members and invite everyone to come and explore the library's resources. 

We're located in the historic Bruner Building at 22nd Street & Broadway, one block north of the Paramount Theater, in downtown Oakland.  All classes (for which you must register) during October will be held here, unless specified.

Photo: “Examining Passengers Aboard Ships.” Vessel is the Shimyo Maru, Angel Island, California, 1931. The U.S. National Archives Flickr page.

Although it’s technically not in October, don’t forget about the September 27th class at CGS on Finding Your Japanese Roots: In the US and In Japan led by Linda Harms Okazaki.

Our member volunteers have been busy gearing up for a month of special events and exciting classes. Please help us celebrate Family History Month by attending one of our October events.  We start off October with a slew of choices:

Saturday, October 4^th

The California Genealogical Society is participating in the Nikkei Pilgrimage to Angel Island.  This fun, all-day event is focused on the Japanese-American experience at the "Ellis Island of the West". CGS Member Linda Harms Okazaki, will present and then will be available to help people get started in their own research.  Diana Edwards, Eva Goodwin, and Todd Armstrong (all CGS members & genealogists) will be there to help as well.

Don’t miss our FREE Beginning Genealogy class with Dick Rees from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.  Find out who you are and who your ancestors were!

Saturday, October 11th

The City Directory Library awaits your visit!  Come by from 10am – 4pm and see member Dr. Stephen Harris’ collection of 6,000 city and telephone directories dating from the 1840s to the 1960s.

Everything Was Not Lost! Digging Deeply to Unearth Your Early San Francisco Ancestor  from 10am-12pm.  Genealogists are often told the bad news that the family records they are looking for in San Francisco all burned in the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, but everything was not lost. CGS member and author of Raking the Ashes – Genealogical Strategies for Pre 1906 San Francisco Research, Nancy Peterson knows how to unearth early San Francisco Ancestors.

We can’t wait to see you at our Fall Membership meeting!  We'll be presenting the First Annual Genie Awards, honoring some of our extra-special volunteers -- those whose "magical" skills have helped the California Genealogical Society in significant ways.

  

The award ceremony, with an Academy Awards theme and a glass of bubbly, will begin at 12:00 p.m.  It’s followed by the membership meeting (1pm – 3pm) with a discussion of "Genealogical Blogging." BYO lunch; dessert and beverages will be provided.

Tuesday, October 14th

The CGS Book Repair Committee, headed by Bill O'Neil, will hold its monthly work session from 9:30am – 3:00pm.  The committee welcomes new members who are interested in learning the craft and who can meet with the group every month. No experience necessary!

Friday, October 17th

Never explored the City Directory Library?  It’s open from 10am – 4pm with a collection of 6,000 city and telephone directories dating from the 1840s to the 1960s.

Saturday, October 18^th

10:00am – 11:30am is the monthly meeting of the CGS Board of Directors that focuses on making our tagline, “helping people connect to their family heritage” a reality.

Our San Francisco Special Interest Group meets from 10:00am – 11:30am and is led by Sandra Britt-Huber.  Topics include both pre & post 1906 time periods. Come & join us this month if you have an interest in San Francisco history and genealogy! 

Saturday, October 25th

10am – 1pm is Susan Goss Johnston’s Exploring Record Sets Series: Introduction to Military Records.  More than 35 million people have fought in military conflicts in America's history. The records created during and after their service are invaluable sources for family historians. Discover the many record types available, where to find them, and study problems that can be solved only through these fascinating documents.

For a full listing of all Bay Area genealogy events in October, check the San Francisco Bay Area Genealogy Calendar frequently.

Get started today on your family history---you’ll be glad you did!

Copyright © 2014 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.