10 Ways to Celebrate Family History Month
Projects to Explore and Preserve Your Family Heritage

Saturday, Oct. 3, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County offers classes, Genealogy and Local History Department tours, and free consultations with Hamilton County Genealogical Society experts. More events happen throughout the month, including a library lock-in Oct. 17. See the Genealogy Section of the library’s October Calendar (a PDF download) for more details.

The Fort Myers-Lee County Library in Florida has a free Family History Month class series on Saturdays in October. For more info, mouse over the listings on the library’s online calendar.

The Indiana State Library in Indianapolis has lots of classes planned, including dating photographs, Indiana marriage laws and getting started.

The Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Ind., has something going on every day in October, including sessions on house history, female ancestors and Adobe Photoshop, as well as the first-ever International Black Genealogy Summit (Oct. 29-31).

Online genealogy class Web site GenClass is sponsoring a competition for a free genealogy class—write a 1,200 word essay about a creative way you’ve honored your ancestors and what inspired you. Get the entry instructions here.

October 16-17, 2009 - Southwest Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Library
The second Branching Out in Genealogy seminar is cosponsored by the Southwest Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Library, (a branch of the Calcasieu Parish Public Library), Libraries Southwest, the Southwest Louisiana Genealogical Society, Inc, and Friends of the Calcasieu Parish Public Library. A Reception and After Hours Research will be held for registered participants on Friday, October 16, 2009 from 5:30 pm until 8:00 pm at the Southwest Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Library, 411 Pujo Street in Lake Charles.  During this time participants may research in the library’s collection or visit and become acquainted with other participants.

On Saturday, October 17, activities will begin in the Contraband Room of the Lake Charles Civic Center at 8:30 am with coffee, a get-acquainted session, and  registration at the door for those who did not pre-register.  Featured speaker will be Carolyn Earle Billingsley, Ph. D. Her topics for the seminar are Communities of Kinship: A New Theory for Genealogy;  The Reality of Researching Your Indian Ancestors; Melungeons and Other Mixed Race Groups; and History Lost – History Found.  John Sellers will serve as emcee.

A registration fee of $25 per person includes the Reception and After Hours Research; seminar talks; access to vendors’ displays; a box lunch, coffee and light refreshments on Saturday.

For more information or a brochure contact the Southwest Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Library at 411 Pujo Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601-4254, phone 337-721-7110, or email gen@calcasieu.lib.la.us.

October 14 -17, 2009
Holiday Inn Cleveland South - Independence, OH
12th Genealogical Cultural Conference of the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International 
This 4 day event begins with ethnic neighborhood tours of the Czech, Slovak and Carpatho-Rusyn settlements in and near Cleveland on both Wednesday and Thursday Oct 14 and 15.
 
The Conference offers 38 presentations given over Thursday, Friday and Saturday Oct 15-17. We will have two speakers from the Czech Republic and one from Slovakia. The Conference Keynote speaker is John J. Grabowski, co-author of the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.
 
For further information visit: http://www.cgsi.org/ or e-mail Paul Makousky, Conference Co-Chair at PaulMCzech@comcast.net

CNY Genealogical Society - Full Day Conference
Outside the Box” by Meldon Wolfgang III, founder of Jonathan Sheppard Books, genealogist for 40 years, specializing in immigrant and ethnic group research in the urban Northeast.
9:00 - 10:15 AM - “Birds of a Feather: Cluster Studies and Record Linkage for Genealogists”
10:30 - 11:45 AM - “Uncommon Research Tools Equal Uncommonly Good Results”
1:00 - 2:30 PM - “Beyond the Basics - Techniques for Newspaper Research”
Also: Jonathan Sheppard Book Exhibit - books and maps available for sale.

Event Location:
Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church, 5299 Jamesville Rd., DeWitt, NY