Events

If you've never taken the plunge to look into your family's history, this program will help you know how to get started! Genealogy & History staff take you back to the beginning with step-by-step instructions on how to get started researching YOUR family's history. Learn how to set reasonable goals for your research, how to create an online tree and how to navigate popular genealogical websites.

The Periodical Source Index (PERSI) is the premier subject index for genealogy and local history periodicals and is searchable by name, locality and subject. In 2022, the PERSI database moved and is now FREE and indexed through Allen County Public Library's world-class Genealogy Center. Learn how to search this family history treasure trove and how it can enhance your genealogy research.

Join the Van Zandt Genealogical Society and Jim Thornhill for a day of learning at the Annual Seminar!

Learn to develop and follow a research plan, keep a research log, cite your sources, and write up your conclusion. You'll be amazed how this can improve you efficiency and effectiveness.

Manuscript collections can be a goldmine of information for family history researchers. Learn about where to find collections, how they are organized, how to use a finding aid, and the variety of interesting items that can be found in the collections.

Join Kelvin L. Meyers as he presents "I Thee Wed... or Not." Why can’t I find marriage record for my ancestor? This lecture looks at marriage customs and laws in the colonial and early days of America.

Join Bernard Meisner as he discusses "Family Naming Customs." Names are a valuable source of information. They can indicate gender, marital status, birthplace, nationality, ethnicity, religion, and position within a family or even within a society. However, naming practices vary enormously across the globe.

Celebrate Family History Month with the Dallas Public Library, Dallas Genealogical Society and the Genealogy Network of Texas (GNT), a state-wide initiative to connect libraries/genealogical societies and provide educational and research opportunities! Six FREE programs will be live streamed from genealogy speakers in Texas and throughout the U.S.

There's more to our ancestors and relatives' final resting places than just the words on the headstone. Headstone symbols, cemetery location, and the section of the cemetery can all tell us more about the life of an ancestor or relative. Burial societies existed to support communities through the death and burial process; fraternal organizations also often provided support after a death. Learn more about the clues lurking beneath the surface.

The General Levi Casey Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is hosting a new traveling exhibit in partnership with the American Battlefield Trust. Come see it now at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library. The exhibit will be on display through the month of November. Don’t miss it!

Just in time for Veterans' Day, we follow the history of the USMC and its veterans through 249 years of service. Learn about how the U.S. Marine Corps started, key battles that the Marine Corps participated in, and more!