It's time to dust off the photo albums and dig out your family history research. Memorial Hall Library is hosting its annual month-long series dedicated to genealogy this March.
Memorial Hall Library offers a variety of genealogy resources including local history materials in the Andover Room, town and vital records, directories and street lists, family histories, military records, newspapers on microfilm, maps, immigrant and passenger lists, and high school yearbooks.
Visit www.mhl.org/resources/guides/genealogy.htm for a full list of helpful genealogy resources at Memorial Hall Library. For Andover-specific information, the Reference Librarians have created the Andover Answers wiki of "people, places, and events that, in one way or another, have some connection with Andover." The Andover Answers wiki, which includes facts, sources, and images, is available at www.mhl.org/answers.
Upcoming events include:
On Tuesday, March 16 at 7 p.m., Stuart Walker will discuss "Preserving Your Family Records, Documents, and Photographs." Walker, Boston Public Library's Book Conservator, will discuss storage, repair, and preservation issues for books, papers, scrapbooks, and photos. He will demonstrate some dos and don'ts for preservation and repair for family records and keepsakes. Trained at the Northeast
Document Conservation Center in Andover, Walker has been the Book Conservator for the Boston Public Library since 1982. He received a Fulbright award in 1992 to teach library and archive preservation in Ecuador, and is currently working on a book about the Boston artist and book designer Sarah Wyman Whitman.
On Tuesday, March 30 at 7 p.m., Laura Prescott, will present "Diaries & Journals: Finding and Using These Valuable Resources." Personal diaries, letters, and journals add unique perspectives to the lives of our ancestors. Learn where to locate diaries and how to use them in your research. Prescott will explain the advantages of using diaries, letters, and journals in compiling a comprehensive and appealing genealogy. Opinions and observations written by our ancestors or someone who knew them add a personal dimension to names, dates, and places. Also covered are methods for locating elusive materials, as well as how to preserve your own documents. Prescott is a professional researcher, writer, and speaker. Her degree in History from Dartmouth College enables her to offer a unique mix of history and genealogy, coupled with using technology to find family. She is president of the Association of Professional Genealogists, genealogist for the Nickerson Family Association, and a consultant at Footnote.com.
Also in March, enjoy an afternoon concert by members of the Essex Chamber Music Players on Sunday, March 21, at 2 p.m. This performance features chamber music from the 17th through 21st centuries performed by Artistic Director flutist Michael Finegold and pianist David Pihl. Michael and David are the founding members of the Essex Chamber Music Players.
Genealogy Month events are sponsored by the Friends of Memorial Hall Library. The Tuesday lectures are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.mhl.org, or call 978-623-8401, ext. 31 or 32. Programs are held at Memorial Hall Library, 2 North Main St., Andover.
