Preservation Week April 22-28

Have you ever sifted through your parents’ or grandparents’ photos wondering who those faded faces were? You can learn to save your heritage during Preservation Week, April 22-28, through programs in our libraries! In observance of Preservation Week: Pass It On!, the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will present a series of free public programs, events and activities on the importance of preserving personal, family, community and cultural memories and treasures. These programs are supported in part by a grant from the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation. Check the events calendar for more information.

And in keeping with the spirit of Preservation Week, why not take some time to learn more about your family heritage? All Atlanta-Fulton Public Library patrons have access to Ancestry Library Edition from within any of our 34 branches! HeritageQuest can be used from home to search census records and family histories. To access this database, visit the A-Z database list from our website. You will need the current GALILEO password, which you can find by logging into your library account with your card number and PIN, and following these directions. These databases are excellent tools for those getting started with genealogy and mapping out their family trees.

We hope our patrons get the most out of discovering their own heritage and learning how to preserve it for future generations!

Genealogy @ Your Library!

If you're interested in learning about your ancestors, or simply must know if you are related to anyone famous (or infamous!), then the upcoming holiday season can provide a great chance to start doing a little research into your family tree. Asking grandparents and great-grandparents about other family and events they remember can be a great place to start. With that information in hand and a little bit of research using some of the resources from the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, you can work your way back through time, finding ancestors along the way!

HeritageQuest Online and Ancestry Library Edition are both available through the library's A-Z Database list. HeritageQuest can be used from home to search census records and family histories. To access this database, you will need the current GALILEO password, which you can find by logging into your library account with your card number and PIN, and following these directions. You will need to go to your local library branch to search Ancestry Library Edition for birth, death, and marriage records, census, military and immigration records, and much more. And of course you can check the library catalog for any print materials available that may help you with your search.

The Special Collections Department of the Central Library houses the Library System's Genealogy Collection. This collection of sources has an emphasis on Georgia, but information from other Southern states may also be found here. GALILEO has also compiled an extensive list of online databases and websites geared towards Georgia family histories, including the Digital Library of Georgia.

Good luck, and happy researching!