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Christchurch librarians branching out
Christchurch librarians branching out
Two local librarians with a passion for family history have set up a new venture in Christchurch called Family History Genies. Julie Paterson and Erin Vail are noticing a growing interest in genealogy among people of all ages. Advances in technology such as digitised databases and DNA tests, along with popular TV shows like "Lost and Found" and "Who do you think you are" have got people curious about their own ancestors.
People find genealogy engaging and
personally meaningful, even addictive! It is also
intellectually satisfying, as there is always more to find
out, whether it is more information about a particular
ancestor, or new insights into what life was like in a
particular place at a particular time. Not to mention the
technologies you learn to use along the way!
Erin says
"Christchurch people are lucky to be able to access a great
range of family history resources through Christchurch City
Libraries, such as Ancestry.com, Find My Past, and newspaper
databases. There is so much information out there, it can be
difficult to know where to start." Family History Genies do
research, produce family tree charts, offer tutoring, and
run workshops. Their October workshop is about how to use
the online tool, Evernote, to organise your genealogy
research. They are hoping to inspire more people to give
genealogy a
try.
Ends
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