Castleton Free Library will be hosting an introduction to genealogy on Monday, March 26th at 7:00 pm. This free presentation, targeting people who are curious but have not yet jumped down this rabbit hole, will provide an overview of genealogy resources and how-to advice on setting up accounts, making family trees, searching for records, and joining lineage societies.

Presenter Ivy Marr, a member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), has been engaged in on-going research on her own family tree, tracing some verified branches back seven generations. The program will begin with a demonstration of Ancestry.com (which is a fee-based platform) to give potential users an idea of whether or not they are ready to buy a membership. Ancestry offers free 2-week trials and month-to-month subscriptions. Marr will also review free resources, including HeritageQuest, an online collection available through the library, and FamilySearch, a genealogical organization run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The presenter will give tips on search techniques and provide opportunities for analysis of census records. She will discuss the challenges of verifying data using examples from her own searches; share sample birth, death, and marriage records; and talk about the information gleaned from DNA ancestry testing.

While still considering herself an amateur genealogist, Marr warns that the process can become very addictive, citing as evidence the fact that one whole wall of her apartment was covered in sticky notes before she invested in a 2x3 foot family tree template from England. The obsession has sent her (with family members in tow) searching for an old address along the River Clyde in Glasgow at midnight; has led her to wander through cemeteries in Brooklyn (a goose chase during which no relatives were found but she saw the wild parrots) and Queens; and to pour over microfiche at the NYC Municipal Archives in Manhattan and private online databases at NEHGS in Boston.

Whether your goal is to prove that you are a legitimate Son or Daughter of the American Revolution, a member of the Mayflower Society, a Flagon & Trencher (colonial tavern owners) descendant, or just an ordinary person with some interesting ancestors (Great Grandma's name means Oat Beer? The poor Brooklyn family actually came from Vermont? There was a lighthouse keeper?) - this program may get you on your way.

Open to all. Questions? Call 468-5574.