Monday, April 13, 2009

National Archives To Host Fifth Genealogy Fair, April 22-23, 2009

The National Archives will host its fifth annual Genealogy Fair. This year's two-day program will showcase Federal records located at the National Archives and professional genealogy organizations' resources for family history research. Sessions include introductions to genealogy research, census records, Freedman's Bureau records, immigration records, Congressional records, Native American records, and much more. National Archives staff will demonstrate how to use databases including the Archival Research Catalog (ARC) and Access to Archival Databases (AAD). The fair will provide information and guidance for experienced genealogy professionals and novices alike. Winners of the National Archives Awards for Excellence in Genealogy will be announced at a ceremony during the fair. The fair is free and open to the public, and presented in partnership with the Foundation for the National Archives and The Generations Network. For a schedule of lectures and demonstrations, see: http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/know-your-records/genealogy-fair.

WHEN: Wednesday and Thursday, April 22-23, 2009, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Research Center, National Archives Building, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. Government-issued photo ID or student ID is required to enter the building. The closest Metro stop is the Archives/Navy Memorial stop on the Yellow and Green lines. The National Archives is fully accessible. To request an accommodation (e.g., sign language interpreter) please email reservations.nwe@nara.gov or call 202-357-5000 at least two weeks prior to the event.

WHO: Speakers include historian at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Marian Smith; professional genealogists and National Archives volunteers Claire Bettag and Susannah Brooks; and National Archives experts Juliette Arai, Rebecca Crawford, Damani Davis, John Deeben, Tom Eisinger, Lynn Goodsell, Jeffery Hartley, Jill James, Claire Prechtel Kluskens, Daniel Law, Trevor Plante, Constance Potter, Rebecca Sharp, Katherine Vollen, and Reginald Washington.

BACKGROUND: The National Archives holds the permanently valuable records of the Federal government. These include records of interest to genealogists, such as pension files, census and Freedmen's Bureau materials. For information on National Archives holdings see www.archives.gov.

For more information, email KYR@nara.gov.

Source: NARA

Posted by Staff on 4/13/09 at 1:19 am EST