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See website for hours and location  Genealogy consultants are available Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Drop in or contact Library manager (librarian@smcgs.org) to schedule an appointment See events at the San Mateo Public Library here |
The Library is Open! Teasing Out the Hidden Story Behind the Genealogical FactsSpeaker: Pam Vestal Saturday, Oct 18th 10:00am via Zoom (Please note this is the 3rd Saturday, not the 4th as usual)
If we are lucky, good genealogical research provides us with lots of information about our ancestors, but most of it consists of dry, lifeless data that doesn't give us much of a sense of who our ancestors were or what their lives were like. One of the biggest challenges we face when writing family histories is how to turn those bare facts into tales worthy of being read, since our ancestors were real people, not just names, dates, and places, and their stories are worth fleshing out. Often, unexpected clues are concealed or unexplored in the information we’ve already gathered, so in this class, we’ll explore four different approaches that can help us to understand our ancestors within the context of the time and place in which they lived. Topics include finding their stories by: · Setting the scene · Understanding the chronology of events · Considering the thinking of the past · Exploring the details in our genealogical records more completely. By digging deeply into the genealogical facts, we can bring our ancestors' stories to life.
Pam Vestal is a professional genealogist and speaker who turned her focus toher longtime love of genealogy after a 20-year writing career. Her articles have appeared in the National Genealogical Society Magazine and The Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly, and her lectures take her from coast to coast. Pam specializes in conducting genealogical research and then transforming that information into illustrated stories that even non-genealogists can enjoy. On November 1, we’ll be celebrating 33 years as the San Mateo County Genealogical Society, a nonprofit public benefit corporation. Thanks to all or our wonderful volunteers for making our society so effective. The membership meeting will begin at 10:15 a.m. The program will begin after the meeting at about 10:30. Library Work DayOn October 13, there will be a work day dedicated to putting security strips in our library books, revamping our bulletin board and a few other jobs. The education team will be holding its Monday meeting that day. This is a staff development day for the SMPL staff, so there will be no patrons. It should be fun. Lunch provided. More details to follow. Please send an email to librarian@smcgs.org to RSVP and I will make sure you get the information you will need. A Few of our Meetings | Come visit us!
The SMPL, in conjunction with SMCGS, is now a FamilySearch Affiliate Library. Find out more about the resources at these libraries here. Upcoming public events
For more information about our monthly meetings click here Upcoming events for members
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About us
The San Mateo County Genealogical Society supports the study of family history in the Bay Area and beyond.
- We get together to learn and share information in monthly meetings, seminars with well-known speakers, workshops and special-interest groups.
- We support research through our genealogy library located at the San Mateo Public Library, online databases, and research services
- We connect with each other through a blog and monthly eNews notices about SMCGS events.
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Download the SMCGS app from Wild Apricot to your smartphone. With this app, you can:
San Mateo County Genealogical Society SMCGS is a 501(c)(3) organization | PO Box 230 https://smcgs.org |
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