Presentation: Genealogy & Family History Symposium 2024

Discover your roots, connect with fellow enthusiasts and unlock the secrets of your family’s past. Join us for an all-day virtual genealogy conference on Zoom, as experts from Bay Area’s genealogical societies, libraries, historical organizations and The National Archives share their insights and special collections. Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or just starting out, this event is tailored for you. Learn what resources are available, how and where to find them, and who can help. 

Below is the order of the presentations and speakers. To register, click on the Register button (above). 

 

9:00 to 10:00 AM | San Francisco Public Library Genealogy Databases
Daniel Matsumoto, eResources Librarian, San Francisco Public Library.

Discover the secrets hidden within the library’s genealogical databases—Ancestry, MyHeritage and HeritageHub. Join us for an illuminating session that demystifies these powerful tools for researching your roots.

10:00 to 11:00 AM | Genealogy Resources at the National Archives
Stephanie Bayless, CA Director, National Archives at San Francisco.

Stephanie Bayless, Director of the National Archives at San Francisco, will present an overview of the genealogical records and resources available through the National Archives. From immigration files to land records, to military service and beyond. . . you might be surprised where you can locate your family in Federal records. Attendees will learn about the National Archives; what types of records are available on-site and what can be accessed from home.

11:00 to 12:00 PM | CHSA Digitalization Projects and Discover Hidden Chinatown Collections
David Y. Lei, Chair of the Collection Committee, Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA).

Learn how to find family history records hidden in Chinatown collections, which are accessible only with community connections and persistence. 
 

12:00 to 1:00 PM | Inside the Library of the California Genealogical Society (CGS)
Chris Pattillo, President, California Genealogical Society.

Whether you have ancestors from the South, Mid-Atlantic, New England, Midwest, the West or California, you will find books, periodicals and resources to support your genealogy research. The CGS has computers, subscription databases scanning tools, and a variety of city directories with an emphasis on San Francisco Bay Area. The CGS Library is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library and has access to many of the Family Search restricted image collections.

1:00 to 2:00 PM | LUNCH BREAK.

2:00 to 3:00 PM | Discovering your Roots at Sonoma County Library
Nikelle Riggs, Librarian & Archivist, Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library.

Nikelle Riggs, a librarian from the Sonoma County History & Genealogy Library in downtown Santa Rosa, will introduce the topic of genealogy while exploring the library's e-resources and various other freely available online databases that can aid you in your research. The library collections include the County government archives naturalization records.

3:00 to 4:00 PM | Immigrant Voices of Angel Island Immigration Station San Francisco (AIISF)
Danielle Wetmore, AIISF Director of Education.

Historical records tend to focus on statistical evidence: names, dates, amounts, times, etc.  Immigration stations, like Angel and Ellis Islands, are creators of records for the accounting of humans passing through the gates of the United States. Behind these statistics are real human experiences, emotions and concerns. Join Danielle Wetmore to read between the lines of historical documents to find human stories through immigration records from Angel Island detainees and their experiences.

4:00 to 5:00 PM | Genealogy Resources for African Americans
Addie Lewis-Watson and Virginia Smyly, Board of Directors of the San Francisco African American Historical and Cultural Society.

African Americans face unique challenges in searching for their family genealogies. The San Francisco African American Historical and Cultural Society has developed a workshop that introduces persons new to genealogy to the basics, and in a group space, review online, other resources and tips useful for breaking through the brick wall of enslavement and Jim Crowism. Co-facilitators will use their own genealogy experiences to demonstrate how to get started, how to broach the "brick wall" and beyond. Participants will actively contribute their own experiences and or recommended resources. Time permitting, facilitators will demonstrate how to use online tools to search on a question from the participants.

5:00 to 6:00 PM | Introduction to the Sutro Library
Steenalisa Tilcock, Reference & Outreach Librarian, Sutro Library.

Did you know that the largest genealogy collection in the Western United States can be found right here in San Francisco? A branch of the California State Library located on San Francsico State University’s campus, the Sutro Library is home to an extensive collection of census and vital records, family histories, city directories, newspapers, and more, covering 49 U.S. States and some international locations. In addition, genealogists can take advantage of the rich selection of sources from our special collection, which contains rare books and archival materials offering an invaluable window to the past. In this presentation, learn more about the resources and services we offer, get a sneak peek at some of our most unique and sought after materials and find out everything you need to know to plan your next visit to the Sutro Library.