Genealogy Workshop
Saturday, July 18, 2026 • 10:00 AM–2:00 PM (CT)
| Date |
Saturday, July 18, 2026 |
| Time |
10:00 AM–2:00 PM (Central Time) |
| Location |
Cary Area Public Library, 1606 3 Oaks Rd, Cary, IL 60013 |
| Cost |
Members: FREE • Non-members: $5 • Students: FREE |
| Seats |
Limited to 50 attendees |
What this workshop is
This is a hands-on genealogy workshop designed to help you make real progress on your family history research.
Bring a laptop (recommended) or tablet and plan to work along with the examples. All experience levels are welcome—especially
beginners and “I have a tree but I’m stuck” researchers.
You’ll learn how to
- Build a focused research plan (so you’re not just collecting names)
- Find high-value records: census, vital records, newspapers, land/probate, and more
- Evaluate evidence and avoid common “same-name” mistakes
- Capture clean source citations (without making it miserable)
- Organize findings so your work is repeatable and shareable
Agenda
| Time |
Topic |
| 10:00–10:15 |
Welcome, goals, and your “next best record” strategy |
| 10:15–11:00 |
Finding records that move the needle (and how to search smarter) |
| 11:00–11:10 |
Break |
| 11:10–12:00 |
Online tools: [FamilySearch / Ancestry / Newspapers / local resources] |
| 12:00–12:30 |
Lunch break (food will be provided) |
| 12:30–1:30 |
Hands-on lab: apply the process to your own research question |
| 1:30–2:00 |
Q&A, next steps, and optional “brick wall” discussion |
What to bring
- Laptop (recommended) or tablet + charger
- Your login info for any genealogy sites you use (Ancestry, FamilySearch, etc.)
- 1–2 research questions or a “stuck point” you want to solve
Notes
- Wi-Fi: Free/Available
- Parking: Readily available
- Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible
- Registration required