Heritage Quest Library to help genealogists break through family history roadblocks

When researching family history several generations back, even the most seasoned genealogists can hit a brick wall when it comes to researching long lost relatives and ancestors.

Finding new databases of information is like striking gold when it comes to genealogy, and to spread that wealth of knowledge, volunteers at Heritage Quest Library in Sumner are hosting a free event Saturday (Oct. 3) in conjunction with the Association of Professional Genealogists.

“The goal is to be able to provide services to folks who are struggling with how to go about researching genealogy,” said Heritage Quest volunteer Jim Jenkins. “It’s trying to get around a brick wall and learning how to get to additional databases.”

Although volunteers won’t help visitors search for relatives, the free sessions will help teach them how to navigate new databases and other resources to access genealogical information, Jenkins said.

Local experts will also share their experiences about researching from adoption to beginning genealogy, Mayflower, military records and more. Experts on particular states and countries will also be on hand to share their tools for accessing information from those particular areas.

“Those leading the sessions have presented before at different genealogical societies, and are experts in their area of study,” Jenkins said. “There’s a lot of genealogical expertise available.”

Sessions with an expert are 20 minutes each, allowing those with particular questions or roadblocks to finally push through to find the answers they are looking for.

“We’re all volunteers,” Jenkins said. “It’s really the love of genealogy that drives these experts.”

The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 3) at the library, located at 1007 W. Main St., Sumner. Pre-registration for the event is required.

To register for a visit with an expert, call (253) 906-3364 or email psapgexperts@gmail.com. More information about the event can be found online http://www.hqrl.com/events/.

This story was originally published September 28, 2015 at 1:26 PM with the headline "Heritage Quest Library to help genealogists break through family history roadblocks."