Don’t forget your family, yeah

Don’t forget your roots, my friend
The ones who made you
The ones who brought you here
Don’t forget your roots, my friend, yeah

Six60 have a great song about family and provides the inspiration for a set of courses being held at Christchurch City Libraries during August. We are running two Family History programmes and you can choose the one that suits you. It’s all about discovering our family stories.

Getting Started: Beginners Guide to Family History

Start your family history research with this six week course that will introduce some key resources available at Christchurch City Libraries and beyond. Key life events such as births, deaths and marriages will be researched, along with sources covering migration, military and electoral information. We will be looking at online and paper-based resources.

Basic computer knowledge is needed.

Where: South Learning Centre & Central Library Manchester
When: Tuesdays, 4 August to 8 September (6 weeks)
Time: 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Cost: $15

Images from Kete Christchurch

Family History Starter Series

A four week course that will introduce online resources to find information on:

• Key life events – births, deaths and marriages
• Living in New Zealand
• Arriving in New Zealand
• Where to next?

Bring along as much as you know about your family and we will help you fill in some gaps. We have tips and tricks to help you uncover your story and get you on your way.

Basic computer knowledge is needed.

Where: Linwood Library
Dates: Wednesdays 19 Aug, 26 Aug, 2 Sept, 9 Sept (4 weeks)
Time: 6.00pm – 7.30pm
Cost: $10.00
Bookings: Ring 941-7923 to book your place at either course.

If you are keen to know more check out our family history guide.

We are family

Central Library Peterborough staff have just completed a successful “Introduction to Family History Research”. Over four weeks nine people undertook the course and found out about the resources we hold and the information that can be gleaned from records to find family members. It can be fun, frustrating, and absorbing, all at the same time. Family history research is a bit like being a detective and a great time waster, as many of the participants observed.

A wonderful insight from great staff who stimulated and challenged each of us to look further in our family history research. Would encourage everyone to take part.

The comments from participants were favourable so we have decided to run another course in November. The course will run on Tuesdays for five weeks, beginning November the 5th, starting at 9.30am until 12.30pm, and costing $15.00. It covers Starting Points, Next Steps, Filling the Gaps and Where to next? You can ring 941-5140 if you need more information.

Even though the course is geared to beginners, experienced family historians were involved and expressed how helpful it was to find out what resources were available at the library. If you are interested in verifying family stories, locating family members, searching records and learning search techniques, then come along and join us at the library.

Family History is cool and we are ready and waiting.