TCCL News & Events

Summertime is the perfect time to explore and preserve your family’s heritage. Join Tulsa City-County Library’s Genealogy Center in July for its annual “Family History Month” series designed for new genealogy researchers as well as lifetime enthusiasts.

Family History Month programs are free and open to the public.

Renowned certified genealogist Mark Lowe is returning to Tulsa on July 18 and 19 to present two workshops at the Hardesty Regional Library, 8316 E. 93rd St. The Tulsa Library Trust is sponsoring his presentations.

Lowe will present an all-day genealogy workshop from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 18. He will discuss “Trails of Daniel Boone and Other Western Travelers,” “Maps, Atlases and Gazetteers of the South,” “Finding Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Records” and “Early Church Records on the Frontier.”

On Sunday, July 19 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Lowe, who is a Kentucky native, will present “Page by Page: Kentucky Research.” Discover the unique records of the commonwealth while developing a plan to resolve your Kentucky research needs.

The following Family History Month programs are scheduled at the Genealogy Center, 2901 S. Harvard.

• “Start Your Research @ the Library,” July 1, 11 a.m.-noon. Tulsa City-County Library’s Genealogy Center is one of the largest genealogy collections in Oklahoma. Join Genealogy Center’s Lisa Hansen for an overview of the services available for genealogists.
• “Digital Resources at the Oklahoma State University Library,” July 2, 2-3 p.m. Join Robin Leech, head of Digital Initiatives, Edmon Low Library, OSU, and learn how to access and use the wide variety of free online resources from OSU’s Electronic Publishing Center.
• “Historic Oklahoma Maps,” July 2, 6:30-8 p.m. Between 1803 and 1925 more than 1,200 political, expedition, geographical, meteorological and topographical maps of the Oklahoma region were produced by the U.S. government. Join John Phillips, manager, government documents, OSU, for an informative look at these important maps.
• “Inside Story: DNA and Family History Research,” July 7, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Will DNA help you locate your ancestors? Join Genealogy Center’s Jae Jaeger, a retired registered nurse, for an overview of using DNA for genealogical research.
• “Genealogy Research at the National Archives,” July 9, 2-3 p.m. The National Archives is our nation’s record keeper, and among its collections are countless gems for genealogists and family historians. Robbie Sittel, government documents librarian, Tulsa City-County Library, will discuss useful records for genealogists and the ways to access or request these records.
• “Beginning Genealogy Workshop,” July 11, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Learn how to start your family history research.
• “Ancestry Library Edition Database 101,” July 11, 2-3:30 p.m. Join Genealogy Center’s Liz Walker and Jae Jaeger and discover how to use federal and state census data to locate your ancestors. Learn beginning navigation techniques and tips for faster results. Preregistration is required. Class size is limited. Call 746-5222 to register.
• “Free Genealogy Web Sites,” July 14, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Join Genealogy Center’s Liz Walker and discover useful free genealogy Web sites.
• “Beyond the Census,” July 15, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Learn advanced techniques for using Ancestry Library Edition and Footnote.com databases to enhance your family history research. Preregistration is required. Class size is limited. Call 746-5222 to register.
• “History of the Oklahoma Historical Society’s Indian Archives,” July 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Join Bill Welge, director, Archives and Manuscripts Division, Oklahoma Historical Society, and discover the wealth of records and information located in the Indian Archives and its importance in helping to locate your American Indian ancestors.
• “Adding Pictures to Your Family Narrative,” July 21, 1-3:30 p.m. Join Genealogy Center’s Jae Jaeger and learn how to use photos and other images to enhance your family story. Jaeger will show how to use photo software to clean up images and place them in your narrative using Microsoft Publisher.
• “Oklahoma Settlement: Territorial Homestead and Allotment Records,” July 23, 4-5 p.m. Join Barbara Meehan, certified genealogist, to discover rich land records created by American Indians and non-Indians through the settlement of Oklahoma and Indian Territories before statehood.
• “Beyond the Census,” July 23, 6-7:30 p.m. Learn advanced techniques for using Ancestry Library Edition and Footnote.com databases to enhance your family history research. Preregistration is required. Class size is limited. Call 746-5222 to register.
• “Genealogical Resources of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,” July 25, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Join Barbara Meehan, certified genealogist, and discover how to access local records from around the world using Family History Centers (including Tulsa City-County Library’s Genealogy Center), FamilySearch.org, the FamilySearch Indexing Project and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
• “Information Overload: Organizing Your Genealogy Records,” July 25, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Do you have problems with piles, clutter or inefficiency? Are you more enthusiastic about gathering new information than managing what you already have? Organization is the answer. Join Barbara Meehan, certified genealogist, and learn tips for organizing your genealogy notes, thoughts, correspondence and research plans.
• “Under Construction: Developing a Family Web Page,” July 28, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Join Genealogy Center’s Liz Walker and learn how to build a simple family Web page.
• “Oklahoma History in Quilts,” July 30, 2-3 p.m. Join Judy Howard, owner of Buckboard Quilts, for an entertaining quilt show and storytelling session as she uses historic quilts to bring to life Oklahoma’s colorful history. This program is sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.
• “Preserving Your Family Heritage: Writing Workshop,” July 30, 6-7:30 p.m. Join Judy Howard, owner of Dorcas Publishing, and learn how to organize your family stories and present them in a format that will entertain generations to come and preserve your valuable family heritage.

For more information about Family History Month programming or the Genealogy Center, call 746-5222 or visit www.tulsalibrary.org/genealogy.

Trace the trails of your ancestors with the help of Tulsa City-County Library’s Genealogy Center, 2601 S. Harvard, during Family History Month in July.

This monthlong series of genealogy workshops will help you sort through mountains of documents to find your heritage. Each program highlights different ways to search, verify and document your ancestry with accurate results. All library programs are free and open to the public.

The annual series is highlighted with a visit from certified genealogist Mark Lowe, a popular presenter at the annual series. Lowe will share his personal experiences that help beginning and experienced researchers gain new skills and insights for research. He specializes in Kentucky and Tennessee resources and researches primarily in original records and manuscripts throughout the Southeast.

Lowe’s two programs are at the Hardesty Regional Library, 8316 E. 93rd St.

“Genealogy Workshop with Mark Lowe,” July 26, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Lowe will discuss “Constructing an Ancestor,” “Dower, Dowry and Detinue” and “Remembering the War: Civil War Veterans and Friends.”

“Tennessee: Records of the Volunteer State,” July 27, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Lowe will discuss record types, finding aids and locations for genealogists researching Tennessee.

“Each year, Mark Lowe makes presentations to a roomful of eager ancestor tracers in Tulsa,” said Kathy Huber, Genealogy Center manager. “You will learn his time-saving methods that are sure to increase your ability to accurately find correct information. His programs are a must for those looking to avoid common genealogy research stumbling blocks. ”

The Genealogy Center features 5,500 square feet of comprehensive research collections, furnishings and a staff devoted to genealogy research and service. As one of the largest genealogical research collections in Oklahoma, the center focuses on Oklahoma, but a large number of materials cover Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. The collection contains approximately 10,000 books, 300 rolls of census microfilm, microfiche, Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes, as well as historical and topographical maps.

For a complete listing of Family History Month programs, call the Genealogy Center, 746-5222, or visit the library’s Web site, www.tulsalibrary.org.