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‘Shocking’ discoveries await family historians at Cloverdale Library

Cloverdale Library has a full fall lineup of family genealogy courses
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Shocking Genealogy Secrets Found on the Internet is just one of many upcoming genealogy programs at the Cloverdale Library. (Cloverdale Library / Contributed)

Start Searching Your Family History

A beginner’s workshop in five lessons with Brenda L. Smith.

  • Thursdays 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Sept 28, Oct 19, and Nov 2, 16, 30.
  • Charge: $100 for the series.

This series of five three-hour classes, developed by writer and researcher Brenda L. Smith, addresses each beginning family history researcher’s need for guidance in embarking on a very personal journey.

Working with their own materials, and supporting each other, learners will discover their particular motives and set goals for their research, organize and evaluate their data, and plan the first stage of their individual programs.

Participants must be able to commit to attendance at all five sessions. Registration is limited to 5-10 participants.

Fun Family History Fridays

  • 2:30pm – 4:00pm; Oct. 6, and Nov. 3, and Dec 1.
  • No charge. No need for advance registration.

Drop-in conversation sessions for any and all who are interested in family history and want to meet other family historians. No preparation required – just bring yourself and your fascination for all things genealogical. By all means bring a friend along. Generally the meetings will take place the first Friday of each month. But check our schedule or contact us to make sure.

Family History on the Cheap

  • Sat. Oct 21, 10:30am – noon
  • No charge.

Family History research is one of the most popular hobbies around. But how do you make it more economical?

Join presenter Jamie Brown and learn how to reduce expenses while increasing the number of resources you consult.

Shocking Genealogy Secrets Found on the Internet

with M. Diane Rogers and Paul MacDonell

  • Sat. Oct 28, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
  • No charge.

With all the talk of fake news these days, we’ve got the real goods.

There are many websites and online resources available that weren’t designed for family historians. Even so, they can often help family historians in their research.

The session will not be a traditional lecture format. The presenters will offer brief but informative demonstrations of various resources and encourage audience interaction.

BC Ghost Towns

presented by Laura Cuthbert

  • Sat. Nov 4, 1:30 – 3pm
  • No charge.

This not a family history program, but it is bound to be of interest to genealogists and to anyone interested in British Columbia’s fascinating history.

Laura Cuthbert has been heading into BC’s abandoned towns for as long as she can remember, but in the last several years she started properly documenting her time. Join her in learning the often bizarre history of BC’s abandoned towns.

Through Laura’s storytelling you’ll find out more about historical documentation, environmentalism, preservation, and some of the trouble BC’s backroads have brought her way.

9th Annual Family History Show & Tell

  • Sat. Nov 18, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
  • No Charge.

We continue the tradition by inviting people who document their family history to bring in their creations – there have been family quilts, artfully done scrapbooks, storyboards, diaries, a very special chamber pot, digital collages and much more.

This year we continue our “home movie” theme, and we hope you will share digitized home movies or slides with us. But don’t feel limited by this theme. All the usual wonderful Show & Tell materials are very welcome too.

So please join us and bring whatever you’ve made to honour your ancestors. Or you might just have a unique family history artefact to share with everyone. You are welcome to share by describing items, or you may simply showcase them.

Tables will be provided. A laptop with internet and a projector will be available if needed.

Visitors without stories are welcome to watch and listen.Participants will be strictly limited to a maximum of 10 minutes talk time.

Ongoing: Genealogy Collection Orientations

The Cloverdale Branch of Surrey Public Library has one of the most extensive collections of Canadian genealogical materials in Western Canada. The library has a wide variety of books and microfilms covering records from the Canadian provinces and territories.

To help you become familiar with the collection, the Cloverdale library offers orientations on the first Saturday of every month, from 10 – 10:50 a.m. Visit our website for upcoming dates.

No Charge. But please register - dates may change over holiday weekends, and orientations are not held during the summer. Please check the latest program listings online or contact the branch.

Unless otherwise indicated, please register in advance for any of the above programs by calling 604-598-7327, visiting the staff at the Cloverdale Library or by emailing familyhistory@surrey.ca.

For more information, visit surreylibraries.ca/familyhistory.

Paul MacDonell on behalf of Cloverdale Library’s Family History Team