Genealogy beginners’ book has starter tips

Newly published guide offers basics and beyond.

“Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy”, written by Drew Smith, has just been published by the Genealogical Publishing Co. This book breaks down the process of doing genealogy by helping you prepare before you start.

The book has two sections: “Preparing to Research” and “Doing the Research.”

The first section begins by discussing names, the importance of places where your family lived so you know where to research, the research process, and how to stay organized as you start gathering information. The author advises you how to look for any previous research, hopefully with a note of caution, and then DNA testing. It ends with a discussion of online resources where so much of our genealogy data can be researched from home.

The second part guides you through research by decades in United States records, showing you what the major sources are to help document your family in each cluster of decades. The author follows with “Generations in British America before 1776” then by chapters on research outside the U.S. It first focuses on records in English, followed by a chapter addressing sources in other languages, with the final chapter, “Now What?”

The author is a genealogy librarian at the University of South Florida Libraries in Tampa, and co-hosts the “Genealogy Connection” podcast. His 170-page softcover book should be helpful to anyone getting started, anyone trying to restart their research, or as a gift to a family member or friend who needs a nudge. It is available for $29.95 plus postage from the Genealogical Publishing Co. at genealogical.com or 1-800296-6687.

Macon library resumes late hours

The Genealogical and Historical Room at the Washington Memorial Library in Macon, with the best genealogy collection in a public library in Georgia, has resumed late hours on Monday nights until 8 p.m.

Hours on Tuesday through Saturday are 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Check bibblib.org to see what they have.

Sitting up with the Dead in Gainesville

On April 7, the Gainesville Library Branch will host “Sitting up with the Dead” when the genealogy collection will be open until 10 p.m. Space is limited and the deadline is April 3. The cost is $13.

Check hallcountylibrary.org to register.