ZOOM Genealogy Club - Saturday, Apr. 17, 2021

 

VIRTUAL EVENT

ZOOM Genealogy Club – Saturday, April 17, 2021 – 11:30 AM (DST)

Understanding Evidence, Proving Your Point

Godfrey Memorial Library Board Chair and Senior Researcher Al Fiacre will discuss what is involved in doing professional quality genealogical research, something we all can aspire to. Are your sources original, derivative, or authored? How about the informant for that source – primary, secondary, or undetermined? Is your evidence direct, indirect, or negative? Have you studiously ignored conflicting information, or found and resolved it? Why does any of this matter? Al will present a couple of case studies to help illustrate his points.

Premium Godfrey Scholar members can register for free at the following email:  zoomregistration@godfrey.org

If you are not a Premium Godfrey Scholar member and want to view the presentation, you can pay $10 via PayPal (link: paypalme/GodfreyMemorial).  Then register at the email above.

ZOOM Genealogy Club - Saturday, Mar. 20, 2021

 

VIRTUAL EVENT

ZOOM Genealogy Club – Saturday, March 20, 2021 – 11:30 AM (EST)

Breaking Down Genealogical Brick Walls - Brick by Brick

Every genealogist eventually ends up running into the dreaded brick wall.  The term “brick wall” refers to a barrier or an apparent dead-end in your research when an answer to a question cannot be found.  Sometimes it’s a record that has gone missing in an online database.  Other times it’s a family member or an entire family that has gone missing in the records.  Times such as these can be discouraging and frustrating.  When you think that you have exhausted all possibilities in your research, it’s time to come up with new ways to think about your question and then look some more. 

Our speaker this month is Carol R. Witmer, a new member of the Godfrey Library’s Board of Directors.  She is a professional genealogist and founding partner of “Come Home to Connecticut,” a genealogical research and consulting firm.  Carol will talk about how to distinguish a real brick wall from a minor detour.  She will also discuss strategies and tools that can help you tackle those tough research problems, find answers to your questions, and break down your brick walls.  Remember, behind every genealogical brick wall is an ancestor waiting to escape! 

The Zoom presentation will take place at 11:30 am (EST). Premium Godfrey Scholar members can register for free at the following email:  zoomregistration@godfrey.org

If you are not a GML Premium member and want to view the presentation, you can pay $10 via PayPal (link: paypalme/GodfreyMemorial).  Then register at the email above.

 

ZOOM Genealogy Club - Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021

Topic:  Research at Town / City Halls

We will be welcoming Joe Camposeo, Town Clerk at the Manchester, CT Town Hall.
Joe has been Town Clerk for many years. 

According to the town’s website:

"Since 1823, the Town Clerk has kept secure the vital records of more than 106,225 births, 43,835 deaths, and 41,822 marriages."

Also, "Each year, the Town Clerk's office serves more than 100,000 customers in person, by mail, or by phone."

 You can see that Joe is a busy man! He will talk with us about the following topics:

• What kind of records do Town Halls keep?
• Are there legal restrictions on what kind of records are available to the public?
• What effect is COVID having on Town Hall access?
• Do I need to make an appointment
• What if I live out of state but have ancestors from a CT town?

 The Zoom presentation will take place at 11:30 am (EST). We hope this time is convenient for our out-of-state members. (Kudos to our Hawaiian member who joined us last time!)

Registration Information:

Premium Godfrey Scholar members can register for free at the following email: zoomregistration@godfrey.org

If you are not a Premium Godfrey Scholar member and want to view the presentation, you can pay $10 via PayPal (web address: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/godfreymemorial).  Then register at the email above.

We are OPEN again!

We are back to our normal hours:

 Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

1st and 3rd Saturdays, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

We are practicing social distancing and wearing masks, and we ask that you do the same when you visit. We will be sanitizing surfaces during the day.

 

Genealogy Clubs will be presented via Zoom until further notice.

Coronavirus Closure

Due to the coronavirus concerns, we have decided to close the library to walk-in visits effective immediately, until further notice. 

 However, that doesn't mean your research has to come to a halt. We will continue to conduct research and answer your requests submitted by email, snail mail and telephone. Rest assured we will also remain busy working on digitization and organization projects in our continuing efforts to make your research experience with us even better. Take care of yourselves and each other -- and don't forget to visit the website!