The Seattle Public Library is marking 100 years of its Genealogy Collection — the largest genealogy resource in Washington state — with two full-day programs this fall, both open to the public and worth considering for families with kids curious about where they come from.
- Roots, Routes & Revolution: Discovering the Stories of Our Ancestors runs Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Four genealogy experts — Cyndi Ingle of Cyndi’s List, Janice Lovelace, Carolyn Ladd and Stephanie O’Connell — will cover topics ranging from Black Americans’ experiences during the Revolutionary War to strategies for tracing Revolutionary-era ancestors and the journeys of Irish immigrant families. A lunch-break consultation slot lets attendees bring their own family history questions to local genealogists.
- The DNA Detective: A Day with CeCe Moore follows Saturday, Oct. 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Moore, the genetic genealogist known for her work on PBS’s “Finding Your Roots,” will lead four sessions on how DNA research has cracked family mysteries, adoption cases and cold cases, including some tied to the Pacific Northwest.
Both events are at the Central Library and require registration through the Library’s event calendar.
The collection itself dates to 1926, when the Seattle Genealogical Society made a small donation to get it started. It’s grown into more than 40,000 bound volumes plus periodicals, microfilm and a name index that librarians have maintained since the 1950s, housed on Level 9 of the Central Library.
According the SPL blog: “The tools have changed dramatically over the past century, but genealogy research can still be wonderfully physical: pulling one book from a shelf, then another; following a reference to a source you hadn’t considered; finding a name buried in an index; or asking a librarian a question that leads somewhere unexpected. Index cards have given way to digitized archives, online databases, and global research networks, but the patience, curiosity, and careful research that lead to a family discovery remain much the same.”
Sometimes the guide is an index card. Sometimes it’s an online database, a century-old newspaper, a book pulled from a shelf, or a librarian who knows just where to look next.
John Lamont and Mahina Oshie are the Library’s two genealogy librarians. (Photo courtesy SPL)
While the anniversary events are geared toward adult genealogy enthusiasts, they’re a useful on-ramp for parents looking to turn family history into a project with older kids or teens — whether that’s a school assignment on immigrant ancestors, curiosity sparked by an at-home DNA kit, or simply wanting to record grandparents’ stories before they’re lost.
“Whether you’re beginning your first family tree, trying to break through a long-standing brick wall, or simply curious about the people who came before you, the Genealogy Collection on Level 9 offers a place to begin,” SPL’s blog notes.
Families don’t have to wait for these events, either: the Library offers free genealogy resources online year-round, along with free one-on-one appointments with a genealogy librarian, in person or virtually — a low-key way to start a family tree together outside of a single big event.
