Several New York genealogy societies will present programs during the month of February.
The Ontario County Genealogical Society will host a tour of the Ontario County Archives on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. The Archive is located at 3051 County Complex Drive in Canandaigua. For more information, go to: https://www.ocgsny.net/home
The Orange County Genealogical Society will present “Lynched by the Mob” on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 10:30 a.m. at the 1841 Court House in Goshen. For more information, go to: https://ocgsny.org/index.php/calendar-of-events/
The Buffalo Irish Genealogical Society will have its genealogical library is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb.7 and 14. For more information, contact Donna Shine at librarian@bigswny.org
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society will present “New York Repositories: What You Can Find and How to Search” on Monday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. Both New York City and New York State are rich in repositories with extensive recors for family history research. But where are they located and what discoveries can people make in their holdings. This is a free program but registration is required. To register, go to: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/events/new-york-repositories-what-you-can-find-and-how-search
Rochester Genealogical Society will present “NotebookLM for Genealogists” on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. Dive into the world of NotebookLM, Google’s “personal AI-based research assistant,” and discover how it can supercharge your genealogical research. In this program, we’ll explore how to maximize the productivity boost from NotebookLM, turning complex data into clear stories and actionable discoveries. To register, go to: https://viethconsulting.com/Calendar/moreinfo.php?eventid=181725
The Polish Genealogical Society of New York State will present “Breaking Through Our Members Brick Walls” on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. Members are invited to submit their “brick wall” genealogy questions in advance. A team of experienced member researchers will review each question and develop strategies to help move the research forward. During the meeting, the panel will tackle each submitted case, sharing the resources, records, and problem-solving techniques they used to make progress. Slides will highlight key steps and discoveries so everyone can learn from the process. For more information, go to: https://pgsnys.online/meetings/
The Buffalo Genealogical Society of the African Diaspora will meet at the Central Library of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 11 a.m.
The Buffalo Irish Genealogical Society will have its genealogical library is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 17. For more information, contact Donna Shine at librarian@bigswny.org
The Rochester Genealogical Society will present “Militia and the Records of the National Guard” on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 6:45 p.m. This is a Zoom presentation. The earliest Colonial Militia date to 1636 when the Massachusetts Bay Colony organized separate companies. Defending the frontier and providing for the common defense have always been at the heart of militia service. St. Clair’s military defeat at the hands of the Indians in 1791 led to the passage of the Militia Acts of 1792 which authorized the President to take command of the state militias in times of national emergency or insurrection. Starting afterwards individual states would have their own National Guard in some manner and it is still providing defense for the nation. To register, go to: https://viethconsulting.com/Calendar/moreinfo.php?eventid=182486
The Western New York Genealogical Society will present “Railroad Records and Railroad History” on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 10:30 a.m. The railroads drew people and provided occupations for many. There is a wealth of historical materials available for researching railroads and their records employed. Varied railroad-related resources and online finding aids, indexes, and digitized records will be covered. To register, go to: https://www.wnygs.org/meetings
Jewish Genealogy Society of New York will present “New Genealogical Databases from the Jewish Board” on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. This presentation introduces two unique resources for New York Jewish family history researchers: the United Hebrew Charities Recipients & Donors Database (1869-1877) documenting the organization’s work to help poor New York Jews, and the National Desertion Bureau Card Catalog Database (1911-1935) featuring 19,000+ cases of family abandonment and separation. Learn about the broader historical context of the databases, effective search techniques, and compelling family stories uncovered through these resources. To register, go to: https://jgsny.org/
The Genealogical Society of Rockland County will present “New Frontiers in Genealogy” on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. Artificial Intelligence (AI), Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and the Metaverse. You may have heard these terms on the news, but what do they have to do with genealogy? Learn how these emerging technologies will shape a new frontier in family history. The presenter will be joining us via Zoom, watch on the big screen at the library or at home via Zoom. To register, go to: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/gsrc-meeting-67259
Ulster County Genealogical Society will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. Check the website for the topic of the month and the Zoom link. For more information, go to: https://ucgsny.org/
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society will present “Researching Ships and Maritime History in Genealogy” on Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. Ship research can be challenging, especially when many vessels share the same name. Peter McCracken will demonstrate a variety of methods for finding information about ships, from his ShipIndex.org website to historical newspaper databases and beyond. He will also show how to locate books and journal articles about ships (or any subject), even when you don’t have access to large subscription databases. To register, go to: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/events/researching-ships-and-maritime-history-genealogy-shipindexorg-and-much-more
Capital District Genealogical Society will present “We Still Don’t Miss the 1890 Too Much – Part II of How to Work Around the Missing 1890 Census” on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 1 p.m. This is Zoom only. Members can register for programs the first of the month and non-members can register starting on the 16th of the month. For more information, go to: https://www.cdgsny.org/saturdays
