Christchurch librarians branching out

Christchurch librarians branching out

Two local librarians with a passion for family history have set up a new venture in Christchurch called Family History Genies. Julie Paterson and Erin Vail are noticing a growing interest in genealogy among people of all ages. Advances in technology such as digitised databases and DNA tests, along with popular TV shows like "Lost and Found" and "Who do you think you are" have got people curious about their own ancestors.

People find genealogy engaging and personally meaningful, even addictive! It is also intellectually satisfying, as there is always more to find out, whether it is more information about a particular ancestor, or new insights into what life was like in a particular place at a particular time. Not to mention the technologies you learn to use along the way!

Erin says "Christchurch people are lucky to be able to access a great range of family history resources through Christchurch City Libraries, such as Ancestry.com, Find My Past, and newspaper databases. There is so much information out there, it can be difficult to know where to start." Family History Genies do research, produce family tree charts, offer tutoring, and run workshops. Their October workshop is about how to use the online tool, Evernote, to organise your genealogy research. They are hoping to inspire more people to give genealogy a try.

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