Back to School: Intro to Genealogy

It's back-to-school time at the California Genealogical Society!

Join us for a free introductory class on Saturday, September 7, 2013, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., at our library at 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, California, in the historic Breuner Building.

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 a benefit of membership and is available to non-members for a $5.00 day fee during the rest of the month.

The September class, taught by Lavinia Schwarz, will focus 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.

And 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 everyone comes away with new knowledge.

Register online.

A genealogist since 1999, Lavinia Gilbert Schwarz is a former member of the California Genealogical Society board of directors. She currently serves on the society's research committee. She graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a degree in English Literature, then earned a masters at Tufts in education. Schwarz completed the National Institute on Genealogical Research (N.I.G.R.) program in 2008 at the National Archives in Washington D.C. and College Park, Maryland. She has traced her ancestors to France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Germany, Cuba and San Domingue (now Haiti).

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Announcing Three Special Fall Events!

Event flier by Debbie Mascot. Thank you, Debbie!

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Mad about Maps Genealogy Seminar with Melinda Kashuba - Saturday, September 14, 2013

Portion of an 1895 panoramic map of Stockton, California from Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division

Saturday, Sept 14, 2013

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

California Genealogical Society Library

2201 Broadway, Suite LL2

Oakland, California 94612

Maps assist genealogists in not only locating physical addresses but also providing context for the lives of their family. Maps provide details about the places where an ancestor lived, worked, worshiped, attended school, shopped, and recreated. Dr. Melinda Kashuba is back with three talks to show how maps and online map tools can help you flesh out an ancestor’s life.

Using Maps for Urban Research
This lecture is designed to introduce different types of historical city maps that are useful in locating urban ancestors, their homes, and workplaces.

Locating Foreign Maps for Genealogical Research
Ready. Set. Jump into research abroad. This lecture will teach you how to locate maps that detail your ancestors’ lives in the home country.

Online Mapping Tools and Apps
New tools available on the Internet can help you document your ancestor’s life, a genealogy research vacation or help solve research problems. Google Earth, Crowd Map, Click2Map, and others will be showcased in this fun lecture that shows you how to create customized maps.

Register online

This in-house seminar is limited to thirty participants. The fee is $20.00 for members. Non-member fee is $40.00 (non-refundable). Non-members who attend can receive a $20 discount on a new membership only on the day of the class.

Preregistration is required. Walk-ins will not be admitted. Registration confirmations will be sent to the first thirty registrants. Additional names will be collected and placed on a waiting list in case of cancellations.

Dr. Melinda Kashuba holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a professor of geography at Shasta College and a professional genealogist. Dr. Kashuba is a popular lecturer and the author of Walking with Your Ancestors: a Genealogist’s Guide to Using Maps and Geography (Family Tree Books, 2005) and numerous articles. Her research specialties include nineteenth and twentieth century American records and maps. She performs genealogical research for clients and lives with her family in Northern California.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

eNews August 2013, volume 7, number 8

The August 2013 eNews, volume 7, number 8, has been published and emailed to members and friends. As always, the eNews features timely information about the California Genealogical Society and our upcoming events. Each edition also includes Suggested Links From the Blogosphere and a photo feature: California Ancestors.

This month we honor the grandmother and great-aunts of Lorna Wallace - the Gale Girls of Hartford, Connecticut.

The Gale sisters ca. 1900 (l. to r.): Clino Eleanor (1882-1938),  Helen Louise (ca. 1878-1919), and Marion Georgia (1880-1974). The fourth woman seated above and behind the sisters is likely their first cousin, Mary Gale. 

Past issues of the eNews are available at the eNews archive.

The September 2013 issue will be emailed on August 31, 2013. To receive a copy, please join our mailing list.

California ancestor photograph courtesy of Lorna Wallace.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

We Need Your Books!

Henry Snyder at a California Genealogical Society used book sale.

The donation of books accounts significantly for the growth in holdings of the California Genealogical Society Library over the past century. Duplicate books and donated items that do not meet the library's retention guidelines are sold and the proceeds support the library.

Library Committee Chair Henry Snyder sent this plea for books:

The Library of the California Genealogical Society needs your books! Our library is built by gifts from members and friends. We are looking for books on family history, genealogies and local history. We accept one book or a whole library of books as long as they are within scope.

Books that are duplicate or out of scope are sold in the library or on ebay. The receipts are used for acquisitions and library needs.

In addition to our online and in-house sales we plan to have books on exhibit and for sale at our upcoming Ancestry Day in San Francisco on November 9, 2013. So we welcome duplicates as well as items new to our library. We will need time to ready the duplicates for sale so if you have books to donate we would appreciate receiving them this summer. 

Please call the library at 510-663-1358 and leave a message. A member of the library staff will return your call. We can make pickups in the East Bay and San Francisco in some cases. 

—Henry Snyder, Chair Library Committee

Photograph by Kathryn Doyle, 1/11/2011, Oakland, California.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.