ROOTS & BRANCHES

One of the first things I did when I started my professional genealogy career Some 30 years ago was teach a basic genealogy course at a local community college. 

Keen observers of the “Roots & Branches” column will recall that I reviewed this long-ago effort a couple of years ago and found some elements held up in today’s genealogy world as well as much change. 

So it’s with a bit of nostalgia that I interviewed Katy Barnes, the director of Genealogical services and programs for Historical Society of Pennsylvania, who’s teaching a four-installment virtual course called “Rooted!” starting the end of the month, which is designed to appeal to beginner and early intermediate genealogy hobbyists. 

I’ll get my conflict-of-interest statement out of the way: I worked with Barnes for three years at Legacy Tree Genealogists and of course, she’s now my colleague in the Pennsylvania genealogy world since I’m interim executive director of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania.  

Here’s my short interview with Barnes: 

Q: So what’s your genealogy origin story? 

A: I was lucky to have parents that read to me from the time I was in the womb, so I grew up a bookworm with a love of stories. Over time this expanded into a love of history and a (probably concerning) early affinity for cemeteries. I ultimately earned a degree in genealogy and am now unsuccessfully resisting the urge to say “the rest is history.” 

Q: Word on the street has it that you think working at HSP is like Disneyland. What do you think is its biggest attraction for genealogists? 

A: The obvious: HSP has an enormous collection, with over 21 million items. There’s a mix of the “usual suspects”–things like tax records and newspapers—as well as resources that usually aren’t found anywhere else, both for Pennsylvania and also every other state east of the Mississippi. They include detailed records from churches, schools, and charitable organizations, plus a large collection of thousands of family history folders, originally compiled by GSP! 

Q: There’s such a gamut to the world of genealogy—what are a couple of core concepts you’re going to try to give to the “Rooted!” registrants? 

A: The ability to analyze evidence is crucial. So many historical records are easily accessible now, but access to them doesn’t necessarily mean the right conclusions are being drawn from them. That is a separate skill. I want “Rooted” attendees to feel confident trusting their own work. 

Q: What of your experiences do you think will be most valuable in teaching this course? 

A: I’m ten years into doing genealogy research both in an academic setting and for paying clients—we’re talking tens of thousands of hours, ranging from twentieth-century biographies to eighteenth-century Spanish empire lineages and a lot else in between. There are some key underlying principles that guide all of that research regardless of where it’s centered. I feel well-equipped to teach others about what that process looks like. 

Q: What if someone can’t attend Rooted 101?

A: HSP will be hosting additional genealogy programming, including a more advanced “Rooted: 102” course, later on in the year. Keep an eye on HSP’s Events calendar for more ways to attend and learn. 

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“Rooted: Genealogy 101” runs 6:30 to 8 p.m. on June 28, July 12, July 19, and July 26.  Register now (deadline is Tuesday!): http://ow.ly/SiGc50Jj2HX