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Come join us for this eight week genealogy research series which will cover an introduction to genealogy as well as an overview of the core records groups and concepts.
Come join us for this eight week genealogy research series which will include an introduction to genealogy as well as an overview of the key records groups used by genealogists.
Feel free to attend all eight sessions or pick and choose the ones that are most helpful to you.
Genealogy, The Very Basics - Thursday, January 10th at 11:00 AM
So you want to learn more about your family history but don’t know where to begin? This program will introduce you to genealogical terms and techniques. Learn how to complete an ancestor chart and how to garner information from living relatives and household sources. A very brief discussion of sources that can be used for family history research will also be covered.
Discovering U.S. Census Records - Thursday, January 17th at 11:00 AM
The United States Federal Census has been conducted every 10 years beginning in 1790. Come learn about what information is contained in each of the censuses and discover how to use all of the various bits of information from the census as clues to further your research.
Using Vital Records - Thursday, January 24th at 11:00 AM
Births, Marriages, and Deaths are important pieces of information for your family history. Become familiar with the key sources for locating your ancestors’ vital records and discover a few workarounds when the records you need aren’t available.
Digging Up Land Records - Thursday, January 31st at 11:00 AM
Land records are often an underutilized resource for genealogy. Come learn about deeds, mortgages, platting, and surveys. Discover the difference between metes and bounds states and public land record states. Uncover how land records can help you jumpstart your research.
Estates, Wills, and Probate Records - Thursday, February 7th at 11:00 AM
Learn what these records are, where they are located, and how to best utilize them in your family history research. Topics to be discussed will include wills, indexes, estate inventories, newspaper notices, bonds, settlements, and guardianships.
Journey through Immigration Records - Thursday, February 14th at 11:00 AM
Immigration records are an incredibly rich source of information for the family historian. See how to learn more about your family’s history by using passenger lists, passports, alien registration cards, and naturalization records. A brief overview of the laws that caused the creation of these records will also be presented.
Exploring Church and Cemetery Records - Thursday, February 21st at 11:00 AM
Church and cemetery records are a strong source of information for births, marriages and deaths especially in the period before the civil registration of vital statistics. Discover what type of information is contained in these records, how to access them, and how they can help enhance your family history research.
Marching through Military Records - Thursday, February 28th at 11:00 AM
Military records have been created throughout our history regardless of whether or not there was a war being waged. Come learn how these records can help you to uncover information on your ancestor see how they can provide evidence into family relationships.
LYNX Bus Link 125 Silver Star Rd.
LYNX Bus Link 27 Ocoee / Winter Garden
West Oaks Branch and Genealogy Center is located in the historic city of Ocoee near the intersection of Silver Star and Clark Roads. The branch opened in August 2001 and was designed by Harvard, Jolly, Clees, Toppe Architecture Firm. West Oaks Branch provides exceptional library services to the nearly 50,000 residents of Ocoee and surrounding areas. In January 2015, the branch became the new Genealogy Center for Orange County, housing a collection of over 30,000 genealogy books. The Library is the official repository of the Florida State Society Daughters of the American Revolution. The construction of West Oaks Branch and Genealogy Center was funded by the Library System and a Florida Library Construction Grant.
Any person requiring special accommodations to participate in any class or event due to a disability may arrange for accommodations by contacting the location at which the event is held at least seven days prior to the event.
BOOKS, MOVIES, & MORE 
