This year we are celebrating a decade of lock-ins from when the idea first came to the then Family History Librarian, Karen Kalopulu.

Back in 2004 Karen Kalopulu proposed the idea to library management saying that, although the ‘concept is new to libraries in New Zealand’ there are ‘many libraries in United States of America which have strong family history collections hold[ing] very successful lock-ins’.

Since Karen sadly passed away in 2009, the lock-ins have continued under the leadership of Family History Librarian Seonaid Lewis.

Family historians and aspiring family historians start arriving during the afternoon of the last Friday of August, working overnight on their family histories and helping other people with theirs, until leaving at 8am the next day.

The lock-ins have been a collaboration between Auckland Libraries and the New Zealand Society of Genealogists (NZSG), who have supported this venture right from the very beginning with their volunteers contributing to the expert knowledge available on the night. The event has proven to be great fun, we have all learnt so much from each other and have made some good friends along the way.

There are a handful of customers and NZSG volunteers who were at that first lock-in and are still coming today.

The inaugural Lock-in group, 2005.

Geraldene O’Reilly, the NZSG president of the Irish Interest group, has attended every single one of the lock-ins, helping many a fledgling search their Irish ancestry.

Geraldene O'Reilly busy at work.

The format Karen started has carried on, with a few unavoidable tweaks along the way.

Before the evening kicks off at 8pm there are the options of a tour of the Central Auckland Research by Seonaid and then a seminar on some subject, whether it’s Scottish family history or, as it is this year, beginning your New Zealand family history.

The night begins with Seonaid leading a 'meet and greet' and then the library staff  NZSG volunteers share their areas of specialty.

A happy researcher!

We then hit the computers, Microfilm readers and books and the momentum continues. Flagging souls help themselves to coffee and snacks in the library atrium and we are all revived with pizza at midnight.

Some succumb to a nap, in a cosy nook but it is amazing, with kindred family historians around and lots to share and learn, how the buzz keeps you going.

There have been many eureka moments:

I finally found something that could possibly lead to more information on my maternal grandmother's birth - the first really good lead in 25 years!

Came away with some exciting information it was certainly well worth it.
Can't wait till the next one.

I got so much information on the night that I am going flat out working out what I need to do next.

I managed to stay awake all night much to my surprise - the time seemed to go so fast.  I found a really good skeleton in my mother's side of the family so was very happy.

As Karen said in her proposal, back in 2004, ‘a family history lock-in is an opportunity to promote the Auckland City Library and it’s family history collection in an innovative way and provide a platform for Auckland City Libraries to work collaboratively with the New Zealand Society of Genealogists on a venture that both organisations are passionate and enthusiastic about.’

We are looking forward to more great research and sharing in August 2014. To register for this year's event, click here for more information.

Bridget

Months of planning and family history month is here tomorrow!

• Auckland Libraries family history eResources;
• Beginners guide to Ancestry;
• Beginners guide to FindMyPast; 
• Beginning your family history;
• Brick walls: tips and tricks to help solve your family history puzzle; 
• British Newspaper Archive; 
• Captives of the Kaiser: Researching Prisoners of War during the First World War;
• Doing family history: a journey to Matakana; 
• Family history roadshow; 
• Hospital records; 
• Military: The use of the official histories; 
• Newspapers and magazines for family history; 
• Pacific Island resources;
• Passenger lists and immigration; 
• Poor law; 
• Probate and wills; 
• Question and answer sessions; 
• Researching First World War records; 
• Researching your Irish ancestry; 
• Searching for your family on the internet; 
• Whakapapa storytime; 
• Whakapapa for adults; 
• Whakapapa for rangatahi (children)
  
  

  

Family History Month is an Australasian event that runs throughout August each year and consists of talks, seminars and workshops on the subject of family history research and genealogy.

For many years the Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations ( AFFHO), New Zealand Society of Genealogists (NZSG) and affiliated family history societies have celebrated family history.

Its a great way of showcasing family history and getting people involved.

This is the fourth year that Auckland Libraries have participated with events that are run throughout the region.


The Speaker Series is a month-long season of family history talks presented by library specialists and held at libraries all over Auckland. 

This year, there are 23 topics, held at 34 different libraries, making a total of 122 events region-wide throughout Auckland!

Find the talk you're interested in below, go to our website and see which date and location suits you best. 

Be sure to contact the host library and book your place for any that interest you! All sessions run for one hour unless otherwise stated.

Morris family group. c1941. Frank Morris Collection West Auckland Research Centre FMO-0729-00027-G

• Auckland Libraries family history eResources;
• Beginners guide to Ancestry;
• Beginners guide to FindMyPast; 
• Beginning your family history;
• Brick walls: tips and tricks to help solve your family history puzzle; 
• British Newspaper Archive; 
• Captives of the Kaiser: Researching Prisoners of War during the First World War;
• Doing family history: a journey to Matakana; 
• Family history roadshow; 
• Hospital records; 
• Military: The use of the official histories; 
• Newspapers and magazines for family history; 
• Pacific Island resources;
• Passenger lists and immigration; 
• Poor law; 
• Probate and wills; 
• Question and answer sessions; 
• Researching First World War records; 
• Researching your Irish ancestry; 
• Searching for your family on the internet; 
• Whakapapa storytime; 
• Whakapapa for adults; 
• Whakapapa for rangatahi (children)

August is New Zealand Family History Month and for the 4th year in a row, Auckland Libraries will be participating in this National event.

A variety of topics will be available at various libraries around the region, and will be announced towards the end of June. One of the major topics this Family History month will be WWI and all things military due to the 100 year anniversary of the start of WWI.

In August 2013, we held 71 events at 33 library venues across the region, 19 different family history topics with over 2000 customers attending (this compares to 55 events at 25 venues, 10 different topics and 1000 people during 2012's Family History Month).

Family history/genealogy research is a hugely popular topic. The growth in popularity of family history as a hobby and research topic can be attributed largely to TV programmes such as "Who Do You Think You Are?" and adverts such as that for AncestrydotComdotAU.

Access to family history resources is becoming easier due to so many digitisation programmes worldwide, allowing genealogical information to become available on websites such as Ancestry, FindMyPast, The Genealogist, ScotlandsPeople and FamilySearch, to name but a few of the main ones.

Libraries, Museums and Archives are also putting resources online making access even easier.

However, despite the worldwide digitisation taking place, its been estimated that less than five per cent of the world's records is available online. The rest resides in Libraries, Museums, Archives and in societies such as genealogical and family history societies and historical societies.

Libraries are usually the first port of call for people starting out with family history. Libraries have many resources available on shelves, in filing cabinets, in drawers - as well as online. Best of all, libraries have librarians. Experienced staff trained in assisting with reference and research questions. While its true Librarians don’t (and can’t) know everything, they are really good at finding things out.

If libraries don't have the exact information that you need, librarians are very good at finding out who does - whether its online or maybe just knowing that another institution has the information the customer is looking for.

A quote I like from Neil Gaiman:

“Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one." 

Is a good illustration of this. Reference/research librarians are excellent at refining searches, and also analysing the results.

Auckland Libraries has significiant family history resources to assist the researcher.

Four Research Centres (North, South, West and Central) which all have a variety of New Zealand family history resources in their collections; West Auckland Research Centre has a partnership with the West Auckland branch of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists (NZSG) in the Research Centre. which has some international resources; and Central Auckland Research Centre which has the largest international family history collection in a New Zealand public library.

Wellsford Library and Pukekohe Library, also have relationships with their local branches of the NZSG and hold their collections in these community libraries.

Ancestry Library Edition, FindMyPast and the rest of our Family History eResources within the Digital Library is available at all 55 libraries and four Research Centres, so we always encourage customers to go to their closest community library in the first instance, and take advantage of what’s available locally.

At some point though, the customer may want to take a trip into the Central Auckland Research Centre  and come and see our specialist team.

So watch our website, our events pages, this blog and/or our Facebook page for more details . . .

Happy hunting

Seonaid

This is the third year that Auckland Libraries have taken part in NZ Family History month. Each year has been more successful than the last, and this year is no exception.

We have some really fantastic events.

Family history month comprises of several components:

1. 31 July - NZ Family History Fair launch event -  "A morning with Richard III" in conjunction with the New Zealand Society of Genealogists, NZ Family History Fair, Ancestry 
2. 31 July - NZ Family History Month launch events:
   12 noon: The Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps with Alan La Roche
   2pm: Using DNA to solve genealogical puzzles with Helen Smith
   3.30pm: Writing family history for magazines and newspapers with Cassie Mercer (Inside History Magazine)
   Events on 31 July are a "taster" and a way of whetting the appetite for the NZ Family History Fair. Of course, we will see you at the Fair too! 
3. 5 Aug - Find your past: a day with Josh Taylor FindMyPast US - Full day event - 3 seminars and research assistance (additional seminars to what he is delivering at the NZ Family History Fair)
4. New Zealand Family History Month speaker series 2013.
   Specialist library staff speaking at Auckland Libraries around the region.
   71 events, 31 libraries and 3 research centres, 19 different topics, eight different speakers.
5. Family history lunchtime series:- weekly instead of fortnightly for the month of August.
   - 7 Aug: Family history sources at Archives New Zealand with Stephanie va Gaalen
   - 14 Aug: Filling the cradles: private residential maternity homes with Lisa Truttman
   - 21 Aug: By sea, by ship: celebrating 20 years of the Voyager Maritime Museum Library
   - 28 Aug 12noon: Introduction to the New Zealand Society of Genealogists with Christine Hurst
   - 28 Aug 1pm: Family archives - prepare and preserve with David Ashman
6. 30 Aug:- The Karen Kalopulu Family History Lock-In - closing Auckland Libraries' NZ Family History month programme

Access more details about all of the above from this page:
http://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/EN/Events/Events/Pages/familyhistorymonth2013.aspx

 Kind regards

SEONAID

On Wednesday, August 1, Family History Month begins here in New Zealand.

Auckland Libraries has a series of fabulous events across the region on a wide variety of topics nearly 50 events across 25 libraries - from Mahurangi in the North to Massey in the West and Pukekohe and Waiuku in the South! There is even an "overseas" visit to Waiheke Island.
Full details of the month can be reviewed here, and include links to the different events happening at the different libraries, speakers' profiles, and abstracts of the talks! These talks can be booked through the host library.

Launching Family History Month - 3 events on one day 

To kick off this exciting month, Auckland Libraries has THREE events in one day at Central City Library in Lorne Street.

Brad Argent is going to be very busy in New Zealand - as he will be doing a few different events for both Auckland Libraries and the New Zealand Society of Genealogists in celebration of Family History Month.


As well as speaking on "Getting More from Ancestry " for us on Sunday, Aug 5, Brad will also be with us on Wednesday morning, along with other special guests


Brad Argent, Ancestry.com.au

Challenging our national identity

What does it mean to be a Kiwi today?

August is Family History Month at Auckland Libraries. To kick off the month there will be a healthy discussion with a panel of experts on Identity and what it means to be a Kiwi in today’s society.

Join a free event featuring leading family history experts.

• Genealogist: Sandra Metcalfe, New Zealand Society of Genealogists
• Pacific Perspective: Fasitua Amosa
• Tangata Whenua Perspective: Margaret Ngaropo
• Chinese Perspective: Roseanne Liang
• International Family History Expert: Brad Argent, Ancestry.com.au

Facilitated by Family History Librarian: Seonaid Lewis, Auckland Libraries


11am, Wednesday 1 August
Whare Wānanga, opposite the Central Auckland Research Centre
L2, Central City Library, 44-46 Lorne Street, Auckland