Story provided by Stillwater Public Library
The Payne County Genealogical Society (PCGS) is presenting a free three-part workshop series at the Stillwater Public Library to help individuals effectively research and compile their family history. The workshops take place on April 13, April 27, and May 18 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
The series kicks off on Saturday, April 13, with a session that covers the fundamentals of family history research. Topics covered include interviewing family members, recording family information, basic resources and effective online search strategies.
“Getting started on your family history can be daunting,” said Luin Leisher, President of PCGS.
The first workshop is for people who want to explore their family history, but don’t know how or where to start.”
The second workshop on Saturday, April 27, goes beyond the basics to explore lesser-known online resources and covers how to best utilize resources at the library, courthouse and other record repositories. Presenters will also explain how to analyze results, form reasonable conclusions from your data and the importance of following the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS).
“The GPS isn’t just for professional genealogists,” Leisher said. “It is an important guideline for establishing the reliability of your research. Essentially, it gives you the minimum that you need to do to ensure that your work is credible.”
The third and final session takes place on Saturday, May 18, and covers DNA and genetic genealogy including various DNA direct-to-consumer testing companies and factors to consider before testing.
“Genetic genealogy is a very popular topic right now,” said Leisher. “In recent years, a number of companies like Family Tree DNA, AncestryDNA, 23 and Me and My Heritage began offering DNA analysis to the general public for a relatively low-cost. We’ll explain how these tests work, what you can expect to learn from them and best practices for integrating test results into your family history research.”
Registration is preferred but not mandatory. To register, visit the library’s website at http://library.stillwater.org, email askalibrarian@stillwater.org or call 405-372-3633 x8106.
Learn more about the Payne County Genealogical Society at https://sites.rootsweb.com/~okpcgs. Members of PCGS volunteer at the Stillwater Public Library to assist with research on Mondays from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Please call the library in advance to check on availability.
Find information about Stillwater Public Library programs at http://library.stillwater.org.
The Stillwater Public Library is located at 1107 S. Duck St. Library hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.