Falmouth Genealogical Society Zoom Class Series in October

Vineyard Haven Library Patrons are invited to participate in a special series of presentations from the Falmouth Genealogical Society and the Falmouth Library via Zoom -- attend any or all! Register at falmouthpubliclibrary.org/events.

Falmouth Genealogical Society, Instructor: Tim Martin and Ralph Wadleigh, Format: Lecture, hybrid (in-person with a Zoom option) Register for any or for all! You only need to register once, at the first week, or whatever week you join. Register for week 1 by clicking here-for late weeks, go to that date on falmouthpubliclibrary.org/events.

4 Thursdays from 7-8 PM

Oct.  6th  : “Overview of Genealogy” – an amazing cooperative effort!
Oct. 13th : “Researching Sources”  – introduction to online & offline resources.
Oct. 20th : “Building Your Family Tree”- and applying to lineage societies.​
​Oct. 27th : “Genetic Genealogy” – consumer DNA companies & interpreting the results.

The sessions can be attended in person in the Hermann Foundation Room at Falmouth Library, or by Zoom. The Zoom links for each session will be emailed upon registration.

New! Free Home Access to Ancestry Genealogy Database

Previously only available for in-library use, Ancestry Library Edition will be available remotely while the library is closed. A Vineyard Haven Library Card and PIN are required to access this resource from home. Ancestry Library Edition  contains millions of records from all over the world including censuses, vital records, immigration records, family histories, military records, court and legal documents, directories, photos, maps, and more.

Also available at home is the complementary resource HeritageQuest Online, provided by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. HeritageQuest Online is designed for genealogy and family history research. It includes over 25,000 books, the entire US Census, and other expanding collections, making it one of the largest collections of genealogy material in the country. 

Free Online Classes from the Library

Library cardholders who are just beginning to explore family history can learn more through online classes available on-demand and at your own pace.

The "Great Courses" collection on our Kanopy streaming video platform includes "Discovering Your Roots: An Introduction to Genealogy," a comprehensive 15-part introduction to the basics of genealogy research. 

"Genealogy 101" is one of the hundreds of classes available through the library's "Universal Class" online learning center. New users can create an account using your library card number.

Free Internet Resources

Free online resources for local genealogy research include the Dukes County History and Genealogy Web Site, the Tisbury History and Genealogy Web Site, and the Portuguese Genealogy Project of Martha's Vineyard.
 
The USGenWeb Project is a group of volunteers working together and having fun providing free online genealogy help and information for every U.S. state and county. 

American Ancestors is a membership organization, but anyone can register for a free Guest account to watch select how-to videos, webinars and courses and search more than 20 exclusive databases.

Genealogy eBooks on Overdrive

The CLAMS Overdrive eBook collection provides downloadable reference books that can be read on any device, including the popular titles Genealogy Online, Genealogy Online For Dummies, AARP Genealogy Online, and How to Do Everything Genealogy.

New to eBooks? Download the free Libby app to discover, check-out, and read eBooks and eAudiobooks from the CLAMS Overdrive collection, as well as the collections of other participating library networks statewide. For one-on-one assistance contact a librarian by emailing vhpl_mail@clamsnet.org, or calling (508) 696-4210 (leave a detailed message and a staff member will return your call.)

Researching Your Family History: A Three-Part Genealogy Course

The Martha’s Vineyard Library Association presents a special three-part Family History Course on three Mondays in May from 1-3 PM: 5/6, 5/13, and 5/20. This course will be led by Dr. David Martin of the Cape Cod Genealogical Society, and each session will be held at a different Island library.

The course schedule is:

Part 1: 1 PM Monday, May 6—West Tisbury Library
General Introduction to Genealogy: covering how to find vital records, church records, using the Internet for research, recordkeeping, wills, land deeds, city directories, and more.

Part 2: 1 PM Monday, May 13—Edgartown Library
Immigration and Migration for Genealogists: covering immigration trends to the USA, places of origin, migration trends across the USA, passenger lists, naturalization, and more.i

Part 3: 1 PM Monday, May 20—Vineyard Haven Library
Using the Census for Genealogical Research: covering the different kinds of Federal censuses (population, agricultural, manufacturing, etc.), state censuses, how to find and collect useful information for family histories, and more.

This course is free and open to the public. Registration is required.  Please register for the entire course or for individual sessions by calling the West Tisbury Library: 508-693-3366.

Researching Family History Using the Massachusetts Archives

The Archives Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office is the repository for Massachusetts records generated by state government. Archives holdings date from the beginning of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1628 and document the settlement of lands in Maine and Massachusetts, the arrival of immigrants, and the development of state government.

The Massachusetts Archives holds a number of records that can be used for genealogical and family history research. Whether you are just starting your family tree, or have been researching for many years, the Archives is a great place to get information about your ancestors. On Saturday, April 24th at 10:30am, visiting reference Archivist Autumn Haag will be at the Vineyard Haven Library to present a free program for the public. She will discuss how to begin your research and the resources available at the State Archives, resources available online, and how to request copies of records from the Archives by mail and email.

Getting Into Genealogy

On Friday, July 10th, from 10am-noon, the library will offer a free class called "Getting Into Genealogy". This two-hour workshop will provide sufficient information about how to get started in genealogy and family history. The workshop will be presented by Patricia M. Stano-Carpenter, President of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Inc.

Please register online through the library event calendar, or contact the library (508) 696-4210.

The library is offering the class as part of the EqualAccess Grant Program, funded through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners with funds from LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act), a Federal source of library funding provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The Library recently used grant funds to purchase the Ancestry Library Edition database, a genealogy database for use by library patrons, and a new collection of genealogy books.