Monthly Programs are free and open to the public on the 2nd Saturday each month. Research in the library closes at 1:45 p.m. for the day and the program begins at 2:00 p.m. After a short business meeting and announcements, a featured speaker presents information on a genealogical topic of interest to all. This is your time to learn about the inner workings of the Forum. The meetings continue until 3 or 3:30 p.m. There is no research in the library after 2:00 p.m., but you're welcome to come back on Sunday from 12-5 p.m.
Please note: There are no monthly programs in July, August, and December.
14-Jan-12 — How to Set Up a Blog — Jewell Dunn
11-Feb-12 — Old Newspapers Are Getting a New Life — Tom O'Brien
Many free and fee based resources are available today that provide digital copies of old newspapers. Numerous sources are also available that list the names and publication dates of older newspapers.
You may ask, why would anyone have an interest in old newspapers. About.com Genealogy shows the following:
The information found on the pages of old newspapers hold a wealth of clues for anyone with an interest in genealogy or history. Headline news and obituaries appear side-by-side with society columns and patent application notices. Community reports include everything from who is visiting who, to lost farm animals. Advertisements offer a fascinating glimpse at prices, styles, and interests of the time. Unlike the facts and dates recorded in official government documents, the information found in old newspapers was generally recorded because it was what people of the time found important. As such, newspapers provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives our ancestors lived that almost no other historical resource can.
10-Mar-12 — The Mystery of the Icelandic War Bride — Anne Saker from the Oregonian.
Anne Saker, reporter for The Oregonian, talks about her series on the Icelandic war bride, how she got the story, followed it and reported it.
14-Apr-12 — Writer's Group awards — Peggy Baldwin and the Writer's Group
12-May-12 — Courthouse Records — Keith Pyeatt
09-June-12 — Annual Meeting — Awards, Installation of Officers
Panel: If I had Only Known or Asked. Come to this program to hear "true confessions" of your fellow GFO members as they talk about what they would have done differently if they had known then what they know now. Bring your own favorite tales about this subject.