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

We've recently purchased a series of educational resources for children, called Branching Out.

They are US produced lessons plans by Jennifer Holik, broken into books with ages groups:
Branching out : genealogy for 1st-3rd grade students;  Branching out : genealogy for 4th-8th grade students ; and Branching out : genealogy for high school students.

Each age group contains 30 lesson plans; and works through the mechanics of step-by-step how to research your family history in an age appropriate way.

This is an exciting new addition to the Central Auckland Research Centre.

We often get children and teens on school visits come into the Research Centre. Family history is often introduced to children via the school curriculum in Year 4 and then later around Year 10; although some schools also do it in other years.


 Getting children interested in family history has fantastic results in terms of teaching them the concept of "history" and also teaching them how to research. It allows them to identify with history in a highly personal way, through their own families.

They learn valuable information seeking skills, how to use different resources, and how to cite their sources.

When they come into our Research Centre, they don't just learn to use our online databases and subscription websites. They learn about microfiche and microfilm; heritage newspapers; and using books and CD-Roms.

We have many other resources to help as well.

We try to teach them to think laterally.

Some of these schools treat family history as a year long project, with a fantastic scrapbook at the end of it.

My plan is to take these resources and adapt them for New Zealand.

I'd love to work more collaboratively with schools, raising awareness of how much we can help them.

And I am also considering developing a school holiday programme.

I think using Family History is a great way to teaching kids how to research and how to use their Library.

If you think your school would be interested, let them know and tell them to give me a call! The best way for us to help classes, if they ring and arrange a suitable time to come in.

Meanwhile, have a look at the photos on our Facebook page. Our wonderful displays team has created a display for Family History Month (August) called Family History for Teens and Children.

Seonaid
 

Seonaid