Throughout October, we are offering special programs to celebrate Family History Month! These programs are a way to encourage you to delve into the lives of your ancestors to help you gain a sense of personal heritage including personality and skill traits.
On Saturday, October 5, 2019, the Library will host a Family History Research Day. Beginning at 12:30 pm, you can sign up for one hour time slot with an experienced research volunteer to get one-on-one assistance researching your family history. There will be three time slots: 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, and 2:30 pm. Online registration is REQUIRED at chathamlib.org. Please bring your family charts and any other relevant information that could help your search.
On Thursday, October 10 at 6 pm, join Ruth Ann Hager, Certified Genealogist, for her talk "What Land Records Can Tell". You will learn about types of land records, what they might look like, what they can tell, how to find them, sources that may show the position of a parcel of land, and online options that can assist you in finding such records. These records can provide a wealth of information and suggest further research possibilities.
On Saturday, October 19 at 2 pm, the Friends of Genealogy Meeting will discuss genealogy trends and techniques along with problem solving sessions. All who are interested in genealogy are welcome to attend.
Lastly, on Monday, October 21 at 6 pm, join Catheryne Popovitch, Reference Supervisor at the Illinois State Archives along with Rochelle Joseph, IRAD Supervisor, for their talk “Finding Ancestors in the Land of Lincoln: Genealogy Research in the Illinois State Archives”. They will discuss how to find and use the basic sources for Illinois research along with little-known treasures of the Illinois State Archives and the Illinois Regional Archives Depositories (IRAD).
All events are free and open to the public. Each event will be held at the Library (600 E. Spruce St. Chatham, IL 62629). For more information, please call 217-483-2713, email Alanna Sablotny at [email protected] or visit https://www.chathamlib.org/calendar/month/2019-10.