Is digging into your past a New Year’s resolution? How Centre County libraries can help

With the new year upon us, perhaps one resolution you’ve made is to discover more about your family history and where your family came from — maybe you even received one of those DNA kits, such as 23andMe, for a holiday present.

If digging into your family tree is something you’ve thought about doing but never knew how or where to start, come to the first Schlow Labs for 2020, “Genealogy for Beginners.” The class will be held from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, in the library’s Musser Room. It is free but registration is required.

Robbin Degeratu, administrative director of the Centre County Library & Historical Museum in Bellefonte, will lead the session. She’ll discuss the collection that is available in the Pennsylvania Room of the Historical Museum, preparing for a visit to the room, and best practices in research for beginners.

“Many people throughout the United States can trace their ancestry, at some point or another, to central Pennsylvania and to Centre County specifically,” Degeratu said. “Historically, we see waves of Scots-Irish immigrants into this area in the late 1700s, followed by immigrants from Germany who made their way to Centre County from southeastern Pennsylvania. These waves of immigrants brought with them documentation of life events that is the bread and butter of genealogists, and much of that documentation now lives in the Pennsylvania Room.”

The room has more than 3,000 volumes related to genealogy and local history; patron-provided manuscripts, indexes to vital records, marriages, obituaries, cemeteries and more; Centre County newspapers dating to the early 1800s; unique genealogical research collections; original Centre County government records; and staff who can help.

“Our partners in Bellefonte are experts in genealogical research,” said Maria Burchill, Schlow’s head of adult services. “Our community is lucky to have these folks in our backyard because they can help guide us all through what are often overwhelming projects.”

Schlow, in partnership with the Centre County Library & Historical Museum, also offers free access to Ancestry Library Edition, which is powered by the popular genealogy search site Ancestry.com. Because there is a wealth of resources for county and Penn State material collected elsewhere, Schlow’s collection focuses on State College and the Centre Region Council of Governments (COG) history. The library has a collection of oral histories by State College leaders and offers photo storage solution classes.

Schlow Labs are “technology for all” classes that are held throughout the year. In February, “iPad Tips and Tricks: Getting Along with iOS13” will be held at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 8, and “Practical Tools for Personal Privacy Online” will be held at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 29. Registration is required for each class.

For more information about Schlow Labs and other services and events at Schlow Library, visit schlowlibrary.org. For more information about Centre County Library & Historical Museum and the Pennsylvania Room, visit centrecountylibrary.org.

This story was originally published January 3, 2020 at 5:00 AM.