I'm New Here: Introducing the Library

Minnesota Historical Society Library, St. Paul

Dates: Nov. 28, 2009, Dec. 5, 2009, Dec. 12, 2009, Dec. 19, 2009, Dec. 26, 2009, Jan. 2, 2010, Jan. 9, 2010, Jan. 16, 2010, Jan. 23, 2010, Jan. 30, 2010, Feb. 6, 2010, Feb. 13, 2010, Feb. 20, 2010, Feb. 27, 2010, March 6, 2010, March 13, 2010, March 20, 2010, March 27, 2010, April 3, 2010, April 10, 2010, April 17, 2010, April 24, 2010, May 1, 2010, May 8, 2010, May 15, 2010, May 22, 2010, June 5, 2010, June 12, 2010, June 19, 2010, June 26, 2010, July 3, 2010, July 10, 2010, July 17, 2010, July 24, 2010, July 31, 2010, Aug. 7, 2010, Aug. 14, 2010, Aug. 21, 2010, Aug. 28, 2010, Sept. 11, 2010, Sept. 18, 2010, Sept. 25, 2010, Oct. 2, 2010, Oct. 9, 2010, Oct. 16, 2010, Oct. 23, 2010, Oct. 30, 2010, Nov. 6, 2010, Nov. 13, 2010, Nov. 20, 2010, Nov. 27, 2010, Dec. 4, 2010, Dec. 11, 2010, Dec. 18, 2010

Time: 9:15 to 10:15 a.m.

Fee: Free

Reservations: recommended, call 651-259-3300 or register online

The library contains an array of sources for finding family history; researching a term paper; looking into the history of a house, business, organization or neighborhood; or just finding out more about Minnesota's rich past and many cultures. This free class held each Saturday year round, introduces these resources and offers tips on how to use catalogs, request materials and purchase photocopies.

Intermediate Genealogy

Minnesota Historical Society Library, St. Paul

Dates: Dec. 5, 2009

Time: 10 to 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Fee: $32, $28 for MHS and MGS members

Reservations: required, call 651-259-3300 or register online

The Intermediate Genealogy Series, offered by the Minnesota Genealogical Society, continues with a two-part class on locating and using military records and finding published genealogical material.

At 10 a.m. participants in the class "Military Records: What Did Great Grandfather Do in the War?" will learn how to use military sources. Participants will look at service, pension and land warrant records, among others.

The second class begins at 11:30 a.m. with "Finding Published Genealogical Materials." Participants will learn how to find books, articles and manuscripts online. For materials only found in libraries and archives, students will be introduced to online tools such as Google Books, WorldCat, NUCMC and MNLink, the Interlibrary loan tool for Minnesota. Plus, there will be a demonstration of Zotero, a powerful Firefox extension used to capture citations and web pages.

This class is taught by Tom Rice, a professional genealogy researcher, lecturer, teacher and writer.

Intermediate Genealogy

Minnesota Historical Society Library, St. Paul

Dates: Jan. 9, 2010

Time: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Fee: $32; $28 for MHS and MGS members.

Reservations: required, call 651-259-3300 or register online

Learn how to find and use wills, probate and guardianship records to solve family history problems in "Finding Ancestors in Probate and Guardianship Records," from 10 to 11 a.m. In "The Anatomy of a Genealogy Report: Approaches to Writing," from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., discover different kinds of family history and genealogy reports and learn how to use writing to test research finds. Participants will learn how to write a convincing proof of genealogical relationships with source documentation.

The two-class program is taught by Jay Fonkert, a professional genealogy researcher, writer and educator, and president of the Minnesota Genealogical Society.

Intermediate Genealogy

Minnesota Historical Society Library, St. Paul

Dates: Feb. 6, 2010

Time: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Fee: $32 for two classes; $28 for MHS and MGS members.

Reservations: required, call 651-259-3300 or register online

The Intermediate Genealogy Series, offered by the Minnesota Genealogical Society, continues with a two-part class on research in court records and in archives and record depositories. Court Records for Genealogists, from 10 to 11 a.m., shows how such records can provide a wealth of genealogical data for family histories and describes some of the more common record types, what data they may contain and how to access them. Genealogy Research in Libraries and Archives, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., will focus on practical hints to maximize success during in-person and online visits to record repositories including preparations prior to a visit, setting of priorities for research and questions to ask the staff. The presenter's comments are based on his experience both as a researcher and as an archivist/librarian. The classes will be taught by Duane Swanson, curator of manuscripts for the Minnesota Historical Society.