Ongoing Genealogy Drop-in Help
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Listed here are times when a volunteer from the Fox Valley Genealogical Society will be available in the adult services department to help any interested individuals who wish to obtain assistance either to get started on a genealogy project or to complete difficult genealogical research challenges. Nichols Library Adult Services Department 1st Tuesday each month 6:30-8:30 p.m. 3rd Thursday each month 3:00-5:00 p.m. 95th Street Library Adult Services Department 2nd Thursday each month 12:30-2:30 p.m. Nichols Library 200 W. Jefferson Ave. Naperville, Illinois 60540 95th Street Library 3015 Cedar Glade Dr. Naperville, Illinois 60564 630-961-4100
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Online Resources All databases are available from home with your library card number and PIN, except Ancestry –Library Edition which is in-library use only. No library card is needed to access these resources within the library.
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Nichols Library 200 W. Jefferson Ave. Naperville, Illinois 60540 95th Street Library 3015 Cedar Glade Dr. Naperville, Illinois 60564 630-961-4100
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Ancestry Library Edition 5-minute TipsFind tips and tricks from the Ancestry.com experts in the video series Five Minute Finds on YouTube . These tips apply to Ancestry Library Edition as well as Ancestry.com. These videos highlight collections such as Yearbook Photos, and give advice on finding records. Beginning Genealogy Simplified On the website Genealogy Explained in the "How to Structure Your Research" section, the Genealogy Research diagram is a useful tool for visual learners. "In honor of the Illinois bicentennial, Illinois State Archives staff has compiled a list of the 100 most valuable documents housed in its collection." Scrolling through the chronological listing of documents provides a background of Illinois history and reveals important cultural transformations. Fox Valley Genealogical Society Fall LineupFVGS has an energetic fall lineup, starting with a presentation by Illinois State Genealogical Society president, and urban planning expert, Laura Kovarik. On Thursday, September 20th she will explain how to use Sanborn maps, detailed maps of U.S. cities and towns in the 19th and 20th centuries. Then on Saturday, September 29th FVGS will host their 25th fall conference, which features lively, nationally known speaker Jill Morelli. Jill was chosen based on her depth of knowledge and her lively presentation style. On October11th, author Gail Lukasik will talk about her book White Like Her, as well as her appearances on PBS’ Genealogy Roadshow. The Washington Post named White Like Her one of the most inspiring stories of 2017. Facial Recognition from Family Search Family Search has a fun tool for comparing your face to that of a family member. You begin by uploading photos for comparison. The results are presented in the form of a percentage of similarity. Numerous bloggers who have tried it had results in the 40 to 50 percent range for close relatives. Try it here.
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400 South Eagle Street Lower Level, Meeting Room B Come to Fox Valley Genealogical Society's September meeting, during which Laura Kovarik will introduce Sanborn maps and how genealogists can use them in their research. Laura is the president of Illinois State Genealogical Society and a member of Association of Professional Genealogists.
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9:30 a.m. Nichols Library Community Room This presentation will demonstrate how to access USA and Czech based Internet sites for researching Czech ancestry. Most sites will have free access, except for Ancestry.com (Ancestry Library Edition is available in the library). Topics include: methods to find USA and Czech homes of interest; Czech land and historical maps; USA and Czech birth, death, and marriage information; multiple search variations; immigration and citizenship searches; Chicago Czech newspaper obituaries; and discovering the names and locations of Czech villages and cities. The speaker, Mr. Roger Liska, is a retired teacher and member of CSAGSI, the Czech and Slovak Genealogy Society of Illinois. Additional assistance will be provided by Dolores Benes-Duy the current Membership Chair of CSAGSI.
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300 E. Gartner Road, Naperville, Illinois Brochure: Join Fox Valley Genealogical Society in celebrating their 25th annual conference! Nationally known speaker Jill Morelli's one-hour interactive lecture topics will be:
Road Trip!: Exploring Midwest Repositories – Intimidated by doing onsite research at Courthouses, Archives, and State Libraries? Presentation covers pre-trip organization, what you will find, and how to find it with examples. Included are my own rookie mistakes so you will be a pro on your next visit! Family Search: The Other 70% – Did you know that over 70 per cent of the online records of Family Search are not accessible by a surname search? How do you find these records and access the information you need? We will explore the access options available to you. Finding Our Women: 25+ Places to Find a Surname – Our female ancestors get “lost” more often because of their frequent name changes. Perhaps one or more of the 25+ places to look may be new to you and allow you to identify your female ancestor. I Got My AncestryDNATM Results. Now What? If all you are getting from your DNA test is your ethnicity results, there is more you can find. We will discuss what the possible findings and limitations of AncestryDNATM results. This will be a live demonstration using Jill’s data. You may wish to bring your own laptop to follow along with your own data. Genealogy vendors, organizations, refreshments, lunch, and door-prizes are also featured.
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130 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL 60193 DNA testing has become a popular topic at genealogy meetings. Why should we take a DNA test? How can DNA testing help us with our genealogical research? If you have brick walls, DNA testing may give you clues to unlock these secrets. This program will discuss practical tools that are available that should answer some of your questions and make you think about a few more. Presented by Steve Szabados.
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300 W. Briarcliff Road, Bolingbrook, IL The Fountaindale District and the Plainfield Public Library District are hosting an Irish Genealogy Workshop with the Ulster Historical Foundation on Saturday, October 13 at the Fountaindale Public Library. Topics include Irish and Scots-Irish information. A streaming webinar of the event will also be made available.
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Saturday, October 20, 9:30 a.m. Nichols Library Community Room One of the biggest challenges with collecting genealogical records and sharing ancestral treasures is that genealogists accumulate a lot of paper and digital files. They also waste a lot of time since they don’t always have organized research and presentation plans. In this lively talk author and educator Marsha Peterson-Maass will share the *Genealogy Organizational Challenge* to get genealogists back on track with visual common-sense suggestions from an organizational consultant and leading genealogical experts.
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This year's conference is "Celebrating Our Ancestors" featuring Thomas W. Johnes."With 20+ sessions presented by nine expert and well-known genealogists, we are confident there is something for everyone at this year's conference. Our hope is that after attending, you will come away with new tools and techniques to help you discover and Celebrate Your Ancestors."
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Learn how to get your family tree back to Poland by finding the village of origin for your ancestral lines using technology. Topics include the availability of Polish vital records from both church and civil authorities, notarial, military, and other types of records. This presentation will include the latest updates from both American databases and various archives within Poland including Przemyśl, Włocławek, Poznań, and more along with the efforts to digitize records. Learn how to effectively utilize the online Słownik Geograficzny to help discover the parish of origin and more about your ancestral villages. This is a comprehensive look at the tools available to Polish-American genealogists to build their family trees in both the United States and Poland.
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The Family Tree: Polish, Czech & Slovak Genealogy Guide: How to Trace Your Family Tree in Eastern Europeby Lisa A AlzoTrace your Eastern European ancestors from American shores back to the old country. This in-depth guide will walk you step-by-step through the exciting-- and challenging-- journey of finding your Polish, Czech, or Slovak roots. You'll learn how to identify immigrant ancestors, find your family's town of origin, locate key genealogical resources, decipher foreign-language records, and untangle the region's complicated history. The book also includes timelines, sample records, resource lists, and sample record request letters to aid your research.
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The Family Tree Historical Atlas of American Citiesby Allison DolanShares historical maps of sixteen populous and influential United States cities, as well as timelines identifying important moments in each city's history and city-specific genealogy resources.
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Mastering Census & Military Recordsby W. Daniel QuillenExamines how to use census and military records for genealogical purposes, explaining where to find them, the information they provide, and possible problems with their use.
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Your Guide to the Family History Libraryby Paula Stuart WarrenThis is a guide to making the most effective use of the world's largest archive of genealogy and family history materials, the Family History Library at Salt Lake City. It includes the basics of family history research; Internet searches including 3400 worldwide centers; and onsite research tips.
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Tracing Your Czech and Slovak Rootsby Maralyn A. WellauerA detailed genealogy reference listing all available demographic data to enable those searching for personal origins in Czecho-Slovakia.
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White Like Her: My Family’s Story of Race and Racial Passingby Gail LukasikWhite Like Her: My Family's Story of Race and Racial Passing is the story of Gail Lukasik's mother's "passing," Gail's struggle with the shame of her mother's choice, and her subsequent journey of self-discovery and redemption. Haunted by her mother's fear and shame, Gail embarks on a quest to uncover her mother's racial lineage, tracing her family back to eighteenth-century colonial Louisiana. In coming to terms with her decision to publicly out her mother, Gail changed how she looks at race and heritage. With a foreword written by Kenyatta Berry, host of PBS's Genealogy Roadshow, this unique and fascinating story of coming to terms with oneself breaks down barriers.
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