Several New York genealogy societies will present programs during the month of May.
The Buffalo Irish Genealogical Society will have its genealogical library open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 2 and 9. For more information, contact Donna Shine at librarian@bigswny.org
The Ontario County Genealogical Society will present “Artificial Intelligence for Genealogy” on Wednesday, May 6 at 10 a.m. For more information, go to: https://www.ocgsny.net/home
The Westchester County Genealogical Society will meet on Saturday, May 9 at 10 a.m. For this month’s topic, go to: https://www.facebook.com/WCGSinNewYork/
The Buffalo Genealogical Society of the African Diaspora will meet at the Central Library of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library on Saturday, May 9 at 11 a.m.
The Orange County Genealogy Society will present its All-Day Seminar on Saturday, May 16 at the Goshen Public Library. The speaker will be Fred Voss. He will discuss Ellis Island and Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor. Registration must be made by Saturday, May 9. For more information, go to: https://ocgsny.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Revised-Registration-Fred-Voss-May-16-2026-ALL-DAY.pdf
The Jefferson County NY Genealogical Society will present “AI and Genealogy” on Monday, May 11 at 6 p.m. at the LDS Chapel in Watertown. JCNYGS Newsletter Editor Yvonne Reff will lead a discussion on AI with a focus on genealogy. AI speeds up and enhances family history research by automating tasks like transcribing handwritten documents, translating records, finding record matches, and acting as an assistant for uncovering patterns and connections across vast historical data. For more information, go to: https://jcnygs.org/programs-and-events/
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society will present a virtual program,”Getting Started on English Genealogy” on Tuesday, May 12 at noon. In this talk, Dr Dixon will offer some practical advice about the first steps that are necessary to find out about English families. The usefulness of census records and church registers as a starting point for genealogical enquiry will be discussed, as will methods of researching vital records. To register, go to: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/events/preserving-your-new-york-story-getting-started-english-genealogy
The Polish Genealogical Society of New York State will present “Breaking Through Brick Walls with Cluster Research,” on Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m. Got a brick-wall ancestor? FAN research—investigating an ancestor’s Friends, Associates, and Neighbors—may hold the key to your breakthrough. When the paper trail runs cold and records fail to reveal a person’s origins or parents’ names, examining the wider social network can often uncover the missing clues. For more information, go to: https://pgsnys.online/meetings/
Western New York Genealogy Society will present “Cemetery Crowdsourcing” on Saturday, May 16 at 10:30 a.m. Explore the future of cemetery research – including BillionGraves, FindAGrave, and other apps and databases – highlighting different strategies and approaches to make the most out of cemetery research. To register, go to: https://www.wnygs.org/meetings
Capital District Genealogical Society will present “Loyalism in New York During the American Revolution” on Saturday, May 16 at 1 p.m. This is on Zoom only. How do you find out whether your ancestor was a loyalist or a patriot? This presentation will highlight new avenues in Loyalist research and some unlikely locations for useful collections. For more information, go to: https://www.cdgsny.org/meetings
Jewish Genealogy Society of New York will present “Jewish Genealogy in Canada” on Sunday, May 17 at 2 p.m. This session will look at accessing some of the most common Canadian genealogy documents available online including census, immigration, military, and vital records. Learn about the abundant number of Canadian Jewish specific resources including archives and heritage organizations, newspapers, and digitized books. To register, go to: https://jgsny.org/
The Buffalo Irish Genealogical Society will have its genealogical library is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19. For more information, contact Donna Shine at librarian@bigswny.org
Rochester Genealogical Society will present “Build a Better Family Tree with Brick and Mortar Research” on May 19 at 6:45 p.m. This is a hybrid program. To register, go to: https://mms.nyrgs.org/Calendar/moreinfo.php?org_id=RGS&eventid=182488
The Chautauqua County Genealogical Society will meet on Wednesday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Cassadaga American Legion Post 1280. For more information, go to: https://www.chautgen.org/
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society will present “Genealogical Resources of Dutchess County” on Thurday, May 21 at 6 p.m. Join Dutchess County Historian Will Tatum for an overview of the resources available to aid your search for your ancestors in Dutchess County, whether they lived their entire lives in the Mid-Hudson region or simply stopped there as part of a larger life journey. Families throughout the United States and North America can trace their ancestry back to this pivotal crossroads of the Hudson Valley, which benefits from an outstanding survival of documentary resources. To register, go to: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/events/empire-county-empire-state-genealogical-resources-dutchess-county-ny
Ulster County Genealogical Society will meet on Tuesday, May 26 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 Genealogical Society of Rockland County will present “The Genealogist’s Guide to Death Records” on Tuesday, May 26 at 2 p.m. Genealogist Sue Schuler will explain the ins and outs of using death certificates, funeral home records, obituaries, and cemetery records for your genealogy project. In-person at the library and online via Zoom. To register for the Zoom link, go to: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/gsrc-meeting-71603
The Rochester Genealogical Society will present “What’s Happening with Family Tree Maker” on Wednesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. Mark Olsen, the genealogical society ambassador from Family Tree Maker, will join us for this informational webinar demonstrating the latest features available on Family Tree Maker. To register, go to: https://mms.nyrgs.org/Calendar/moreinfo.php?eventid=198371
