My experience at IGHR
by Kat Johnston
As I near almost six years as a librarian for Dallas Public Library, I am so grateful this winding path led me to the 8th floor and genealogy librarianship in December 2022. What started as a way to give structure to my days during the pandemic, has become a passion and a lifelong quest. I didn’t know that every fact and detail would help me feel more rooted to the earth and my existence.
I was a college Humanities major, then started my career at DPL as a Literature, Language, and Religion Librarian. I have since worked also as a Programming Librarian and a City Life, Education, and Work Skills Librarian; suffice it to say, I refuse to pick a lane. These experiences have shaped my career and penchant for inter and multidisciplinary research.
IGHR is my first genealogical event of my professional career and I couldn’t have asked for a better or richer experience. It was a culmination of everything I love about genealogy and family history: the potential for new discoveries, building context, and learning new techniques through real-world examples. Records I have previously been too intimidated to peruse, notably land, tax, and probate, now feel more accessible. Each instructor provided a diverse perspective on doing genealogy research, creating additions to my genealogical toolbelt, while Debra Hoffman linked each presentation together in a way that felt organic and conducive to learning. The writing exercise we ended with on our last day got me excited for all future genealogy pursuits—this work will never be done and I take solace in this lifelong-nature of this project. Things I believed to be concrete could change, new information could become available through indexing and digitization, or greater, additional context can be discovered.
One of my favorite sessions was on manuscript collections and how they too can bring life to our ancestors, their communities, and their life’s work. While focusing on my 6th great-grandfather Weisenberger, I discovered a manuscript collection of physician record books from his time taking care of German immigrant communities in the Northwest Ohio area. I also found the records from a general store in his town, hoping to glean anything about the Weisenbergers’ daily lives in 19th century Ohio. A genealogical field trip is in order!
On both sides of my family, economic hardship has made preserving and keeping track of our family history difficult. It was hard to know what was worth remembering and preserving when the trials of life were relentless. Working on my genealogy is a gift I give back to them, every time I remember, and to myself, to never forget that which I have inherited has shaped me.
