Kingston Branch has been testing Virtual Drop-ins.
We used to host drop-in sessions at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library. These were publicized through the library’s various mechanisms as well as through our own advertising media. Usually we had four or five people, most often beginner genealogists, who came to the library to ask questions. Most frequently, it worked out that our volunteers could pair up one-on-one with the newcomers to review the information they had found so far, and suggest next steps.
Other branches have started trying online drop-in sessions, with varying success. Kingston Branch Council agreed to a trial run of six sessions this spring and then we’ll assess them before making future commitments.
So far, we’ve held three drop-in sessions via Zoom. For the first session, one genealogist new to Kingston research was joined by three members with local knowledge. We were able as a group to explain facts such as:
- wills in Ontario are held by the Archives of Ontario, and we shared the link;
- land records for Ontario are online in a couple of places, but the simplest to navigate is FamilySearch.org;
- and then we discussed early records of Roman Catholics in Kingston;
- we all learned that FamilySearch now has images of the original registers of St. Mary’s Cathedral online;
- we were able to view the name index on the KFPL site (Digital Kingston) and then use it to navigate the FamilySearch collection.
We shared our newcomer’s joy at discovering the entry for the burial of her great-great-grandfather!
Our second session brought four visitors into discussion with three members of Council. Among topics covered were several genealogy software programs, and the pros and cons of keeping your genealogy on your own computer vs using only cloud-based websites.
There are still three drop-in sessions upcoming, on May 19, June 2 and June 16, from 2:00-3:30 pm. We have suggested topics to kick off the conversation, but you are welcome to ask about anything or just get some help with your own family research.
Virtual Drop-in Sessions
- Click a title for more information or
- Register directly below.
