Celebrate Family History Month in July with the Genealogy Center

   Share your family’s heritage with future generations by researching your roots and creating a family tree. Join Tulsa City-County Library’s Genealogy Center in July at its 15th annual Family History Month series featuring a variety of programs for new genealogy researchers as well as lifetime enthusiasts.
   The series also features workshops on Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26 presented by renowned national speaker and certified genealogist Mark Lowe. Come and discover why Lowe is so popular with Tulsa researchers as he shares valuable tips and helpful resources to aid you in solving difficult research problems. Lowe’s presentations are sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
   All Family History Month programs are free and will be held at the Hardesty Regional Library, 8316 E. 93rd St., in Frossard Auditorium. A hearing loop is available.

·         “Beginning Genealogy Workshop”; Saturday, July 11; 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Learn how to start researching your family history, including where to begin, what records are important and where to find them; how to use both online and print sources; and what services and assistance are available to you in the Genealogy Center. 
·         “Ancestry Tricks and Tips”; Saturday, July 11; 2-3 p.m. Ancestry is one of the most widely used genealogy databases, but are you getting the most out of it? Learn some new tips and tricks to help further your research.  
·         “The Immigration Process and the Records It Created”; Saturday, July 11; 3:15-4:30 p.m. Locating ancestors in immigration records can prove challenging. Join us for an in-depth look at the immigration process and the records it created. This workshop complements the Adult Summer Reading Program and One Book, One Tulsa communitywide reading initiative.
·         “HistoryGeo.com: Unlocking the Past With Original and 19th Century Land Owner Maps”; Saturday, July 18; 10 a.m.-noon. Learn what is new at HistoryGeo.com. Greg Boyd, family historian and creator of the land owner maps, will demonstrate how best to use the many tools on the site and describe how the First Land Owner's project solves genealogy mysteries.  
·         “The Century Chest”; Saturday, July 18, 1:30-2:30 p.m. On April 22, 1913, the members of the First English Lutheran Church of Oklahoma City buried a copper chest in the church's basement. Filled with items supplied by local citizens, businesses, community organizations and legislators who paid for space in the chest, the chest was to remain buried for 100 years. Fast forward to April 22, 2013, when members of the church opened the chest at a public ceremony. Contents of the chest were donated to the Oklahoma Historical Society to conserve and care for these items. Join Chad Williams, director of the Oklahoma Historical Society's research division, as he shares stories of the many surprising things that were buried in the chest. 
·         “Gateway to Oklahoma History”; Saturday, July 18; 3-4 p.m. The Oklahoma Historical Society is digitizing Oklahoma's newspapers. Discover the wealth of genealogical information available at your fingertips from this free online database.  
·         “Where, When and Why: The Story of Migration”; Saturday, July 25; 9:30-10:30 a.m. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe and follow your ancestors over a century of movement sharing locations, time periods and why. Understand where to look, what to avoid and when to yell "Time!" 
·         “How to Follow the ‘Right’ Family While They Move Across the South”; Saturday, July 25; 10:45-11:45 a.m. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe and learn simple techniques you should take when researching your migrating ancestors. Lowe will break down research problems into manageable segments, developing a profile.
·         “How Do I Use DNA Testing?”; Saturday, July 25; 1:30-2:30 p.m. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe as he discusses what's new with DNA testing and shares the process to determine which test to take, how to prepare for testing and what to do when the test results arrive. 
·         “Taxes Rule the World: Property, Poll, Ad Valorem, Permission”; Saturday, July 25; 2:45-3:45 p.m. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe and learn about the many forms of tax records and how to use them as a tool to solve research problems.
·         “A Death in the Family”; Sunday, July 26; 1:30-4 p.m. Join certified genealogist Mark Lowe and discover the myriad of documents uncovered through the death of an individual. We will look at the basics and dig through more complicated estates with a hands-on approach. Uncover intestate divisions, insolvent estates and contested wills while learning what you need to know. 
   After attending these programs, stop by the Genealogy Center to get started on your research. Located on the second floor of the Hardesty Regional Library, the center has one of the largest genealogical collections in Oklahoma. Plus, it is designated as an official FamilySearch Center, enabling it to borrow resources from the largest genealogy collection in the world – the Family History Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
   For more information about Family History Month programming or the Genealogy Center, go to http://guides.tulsalibrary.org/genealogy/ or call 918-549-7691.