Your Personal Genealogist

Central Library is really fortunate to have two great volunteers working in its Genealogy Center on the 4th floor. Both Bernard Marks and John Burke have been generously giving their time for the past year so that the library can offer its popular – and free -- Book a Genealogist service to the public. As volunteers, Mr. Marks and Mr. Burke meet individually with people who are interested in getting a little extra help with their research – both beginners who would like some direction in getting started, and people with genealogy experience who might benefit from suggestions on new research strategies.

By working on his own family’s history for nearly twenty years, Mr. Marks has become passionate about the importance of genealogy and of teaching people to do their own research. He finds that being multilingual helps when working with people who have questions about the spelling of surnames. The ten languages he speaks include Polish, Russian, German, Spanish and Yiddish.

Mr. Burke’s interest in genealogy came from his desire to have a connection with his unknown Irish ancestors – to learn each one’s story. He describes the excitement of finding a long-missing piece of information about an ancestor’s life as “a real rush.” Now Mr. Burke’s goal is to pass along the information he uncovers to his children and grandchildren.

Without the help of these two dedicated volunteers, Central Library could not offer the Book a Genealogist service!

If you’re interested in meeting with one of Central Library’s Book a Genealogist volunteers, please make an appointment by calling the library at 916-264-2920, or visit http://www.saclibrary.org/.

B. Daugherty

Learning your Ancestors’ Stories

When I think about my interest in genealogy, I realize that discovering the stories about my ancestors’ extraordinary experiences is what keeps me motivated to do the research. An example of this came to me when we had a genealogy program on Ellis Island at Central Library a few weeks ago, given by speaker Lisa Lee. Speaking no English and traveling separately, I knew the journey through Ellis Island had not been an easy one for my grandparents. Learning more through Lisa’s talk, exploring some of the library’s books on Ellis Island and using some genealogy databases has made their experiences more real to me.

Every family has interesting stories to discover, and help in finding those stories is always available. Along with the resources available in the Genealogy Center at Central Library, I recommend taking advantage of these free programs:

At Central Library – Saturdays, 1:30 – 3:00 pm, in the West Meeting Room:

• March 21st: Introduction to Genealogy Research, with Glenda Lloyd
• May 2nd: Getting Organized, with Glenda Lloyd
• May 16th: Oral Histories: Getting your Family to Talk to You, with Lisa Lee
• May 30th: U.S. Military Pensions, with Barbara Leak

And if you are interested in getting some individual help in your research, take advantage of Central Library’s Book a Genealogist program. Genealogy volunteers are available to meet with you by appointment.

For information on Central Library’s genealogy programs, call 916-264-2920, or visit the library's new home page and click the "events" menu button near the top of the screen. If you’re interested in being on a mailing list to receive information about future genealogy programs at Central Library, please contact the library at askus@saclibrary.org.

Of course, there are other genealogy classes, seminars and organizations in the Sacramento area. For current information on genealogy events, take a look at these websites:
Sacramento Genealogical Society's Root Cellar, Sacramento Family History Center, and Genealogical Association of Sacramento.

Start learning your ancestors’ stories!