Monthly Programs are free and open to the public on the 3rd 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.
18 May 2013 — Writing Contest Winners...PLUS
Your family photographs are more than a snapshot in time--they are a window into another world, if you know how to read the clues. You can learn how to go beyond the basics of dating and identifying old photographs and find the stories behind the images. This lecture includes a series of methods and tools to help you identify the clues and discover the stories behind your family photographs. Basic techniques for dating and identifying old photographs will be reviewed, and will provide the foundation for more advanced techniques that will include the use research methods such as timelines for identifying the subject and setting, occasion, and location of your photographs. Techniques for finding, storing, scanning, and inventorying old photos will also be presented, and you are encouraged to bring one or two of your family photos to share and discuss.
Karen is a professional lecturer and genealogist who specializes in researching family photographs. An avid collector of antiques and vintage clothing from the age of seven, Karen had already received a bachelor's degree in history and begun researching her family's history when she inherited several hundred family photographs that dated back to the 1850's. The joy she found in discovering the stories behind these windows to her family's history has become a passion for helping others identify and discover the stories behind their own family photos. Karen is a member of the Daguerreian Society, the National Genealogical Society, and has completed advanced course work at both Samford University's Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR) and the National Institute on Genealogical Research (NIGR). She has served on the boards of directors of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and the Genealogical Speakers Guild, and has written articles for the APG Quarterly. Karen is the principal researcher for The Past Matters®, and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, family, and five cats.