Fort Bend County Libraries’ Local History and Genealogy department will present a special Genealogy Workshop on Saturday, April 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon, in the Meeting Room at George Memorial Library, located at 1001 Golfview in Richmond.
Professional genealogist, author, speaker, and family-history blogger Devon Noel Lee will share her knowledge, experience, and insight on topics designed to help family-history buffs explore different avenues of genealogical research.
At 9:30 a.m., Lee will begin the workshop with a talk on “Using FamilySearch.org More Effectively.” The largest genealogy collection in the world, FamilySearch.org is an online resource that contains extensive genealogical records compiled by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints worldwide for more than 100 years. It also offers access to the Ancestral File and the International Genealogical Index. Lee will explain how to use this collaborative resource more effectively using indexed and unindexed records and leaving a trail of documented research decisions along the way.
At 10:45 a.m., Lee will present “Self-Publishing Your Family History.” According to Lee, the best way to preserve family history is to publish a book. Once the manuscript is finished, how does one prepare it for publication? What services are available? Lee will explain the process of self-publishing a book, so that family history can be preserved in a way that is efficient as well as affordable.
A graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in business and a minor in journalism, Lee has more than 20 years of experience in genealogical research. She has maintained a blog for family-history researchers, The Patient Genealogist, since 2009. Additionally, she has self-published four books and shares YouTube videos on the Family History Fanatics channel.
This family-history workshop is presented with the generous support of the Friends of George Memorial Library. Proceeds from the Friends of the Library book sales and annual membership dues help to underwrite the costs of special programming and various cultural and educational events at the library.
The workshop is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, however, and reservations are required. To register online at the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Events,” select “George Memorial Library,” and find the program. Participants may also register by calling the library’s Local History and Genealogy Department at 281-341-2608.