Presentation: Genealogy and Family History Symposium 2025

(Day 1)
Tuesday, 7/22/2025
10:00 - 5:00
Koret Auditorium
Koret Lobby
Main Library

100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

415-557-4400

The Genealogy and Family History Symposium is a two-day conference featuring speakers from the San Francisco Public Library and local genealogy organizations covering a diverse range of topics. You will learn about resources at the library, both physical and electronic, that will aid your research, as well as how to search for specific ancestors like Chinese, Irish, Jewish, Japanese, LGBTQ+ and more.

 

SCHEDULE OF SPEAKERS

10-11 AM | San Francisco Public Library's Genealogy Databases
Daniel Matsumoto, eResources Librarian, SFPL
Discover the secrets hidden within the library’s genealogical databases—Ancestry, MyHeritage, My China Roots and HeritageHub. Join us for an illuminating session that demystifies these powerful tools for researching your roots.

11 AM-12 PM | Be a Genealogy Detective: Artifacts & Recovered Documents for Chinese Genealogy
Jeanie Low, Chinese American Historian and Genealogist
Explore historical maps, gravestone inscriptions, WWI draft registrations, naturalization records and key events like the Transcontinental Railroad and Chinese Exclusion Act. Unravel the mystery of “paper names” and reconstruct authentic family histories. 

12-1 PM | LUNCH BREAK

1-2 PM | Historic Newspapers for Genealogy Research
Kelci Baughman McDowell, Librarian, Magazines & Newspapers Ctr., SFPL
Tips, tricks, and guidance for finding obituaries and locating family information in historic newspapers by using SFPL resources and open access newspaper databases. 

2-3 PM | Discovering Your Irish Ancestors: Steps, Strategies and Resources
Maureen Hanlon, California Genealogical Society volunteer and former Board officer
Discover proven methods for researching Irish ancestry using U.S. records. Learn to build timelines for life events, map vital Irish archives, and overcome research barriers with sound strategies.

3-4 PM | Angel Island's Immigrants from 80 Countries and Their Documents
Grant Din, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation & CGS.
Angel Island in San Francisco Bay housed a U.S. immigration station between 1910 and 1940, enforcing the Chinese Exclusion Acts but also processing immigrants from 80 countries. Learn about their stories and documents you can find today.

4-5 PM | Government Resources for Genealogists
Vaile Fujikawa, Program Manager, Government Information Center, SFPL
Discover the wealth of genealogical information available through government resources. This presentation will guide you through effective strategies for utilizing sources such as Archives.gov for federal records and USCIS.gov for crucial immigration documents. We will also delve into the unique treasures housed within the San Francisco Public Library's Government Information Center (GIC)

 

See the schedule for Day 2.

Community & Neighborhood

Build connections with others in our local programs.

History

Learn more about local history.

Spotlight

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.

Public Notice and Disclaimer

This program uses a third-party website link. By clicking on the third-party website link, you will leave SFPL's website and enter a website not operated by SFPL. This service may collect personally identifying information about you, such as name, username, email address, and password. This service will treat the information it collects about you pursuant to its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each third-party website or service that you visit or use, including those third parties with whom you interact through our Library services. For more information about these third-party links, please see the section of SFPL’s Privacy Policy describing Links to Other Sites.

The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.