We understand from the JCLC that the libraries in Mountain Brook, Vestavia, Hoover and Homewood have renewed their local licenses and Jefferson County library cardholders will be able to access HQ at these physical locations. Remote access will be limited to cardholders who live in these cities. For cardholders in the city of Birmingham, the Birmingham Public Library will continue to offer Ancestry.com Library Edition on-site as well.

Read the full article posted today on the Birmingham Public Library blog:

http://bplolinenews.blogspot.com/2012/02/genealogy-database-heritage-quest.html

Please go to “The Legal Genealogist” blog and read the article below:

http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2012/01/29/ssdi-call-to-action/

Consider contacting your representatives in Congress by e-mail or telephone. This does not bode well for genealogists.

Topic: Book Discussion – Choosing Sides (selections from America’s War anthology)

Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 – 7 pm

Location: Theatre level meeting rooms, Hoover Public Library

Scholar: John Mayfield PhD, Department of History, Samford University

Registration is required. Call 444-7840 to register.

The series continues through April. See the Hoover Public Library website for upcoming event details.

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/01/specially_trained_dogs_help_sn.html

Next meeting: Saturday, February 11, 2012, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Program Theme: Discovering our African American Heritage:  The Alabama Connection

Guest Speakers:  Mrs. Carol McKinstry, 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing Survivor, and Dr. Robert Davis, Director of Genealogy Department, Wallace State Community College

Additional Information: Wanda Looney, Tel: 205-317-7557 / e-mail  or Chester Summerville, Tel:  205-821-3358 / email

The Expo is FREE and open to the public.  Come join us for food, fun and family history!

Genealogy Blog

One that will be of interest of most viewing this blog are the “Alabama, County Estate Records…” — not every county is represented at this time, but there are enough to allow you to spend days downloading and viewing estate records. The records in this collection seem to be from the microfilm of the “Loose Records Project” completed in all counties just a few years ago.  The records are not fully searchable, but are organized by County and Last Name.  I have noticed in more than one county that the papers imaged under a particular name, may not always be for that individual.  Of course, there are the “mixing” of same names, but I have also seen a Robinson estate mixed in with the estate of a Williams.  Additionally, check for records filmed under the name of the administrator/executor or even under the heirs.

Alabama, County Estate Records

Good luck and happy searching!

Next meeting: Saturday, January 28th at 2 p.m.; Board Meeting at 1:30 p.m.

Meeting Room: Youth Department (Story Castle), 2nd Floor, Main Library building

Speaker:  Connie Grund

Program Topic: Today’s DAR Including Research Resources and Membership Information

Come join us and learn about the Daughter’s of the American Revolution (DAR) lineage society.  Connie will share resources available to both member and non-members of DAR and provide information on how to join the society.  She will be available after her program to discuss membership information one-on-one.

About the Speaker:  Connie Haynsworth Grund was born in Birmingham, baptized at the Cathedral Church of the Advent and spent most of her growing up years in Westchester County, New York.

Connie is a full time volunteer serving currently as the Vice Regent of the Alabama Society Daughters of the American Revolution and Vice Chairman of the KDS DAR School, Board of Trustees in Grant, AL. Connie serves the National Society DAR as National Chairman of Constitution Week. She is also a member of 18 other lineage groups and serves on the board of several.

Connie’s ancestor David Owen brought his family down the Tennessee River on a flatboat, disembarked in Guntersville and went by wagon to Jefferson County. That was back in 1816 and makes Connie the 8th generation of her family to live in Jefferson County. The Owen farm house, built in 1833 is still in Jefferson County owned by the West Jefferson County Historical Society and Connie serves on the Board of Director’s.

Connie has six other family lines that were in Alabama before statehood including Jefferson County pioneers Mortimer Jordan, John Smith and William Rose Sadler, Needham Lee of Shelby County and William Patton and John Brahan of Huntsville. William Patton’s son Robert went on to become the 20th governor of Alabama.

NOTE:  Please note the location change from our “regular” meeting room in the Arrington Auditorium to the meeting room located in the Youth Department.  We will resume meeting in the Arrington Auditorium in February.

Next meeting: Sunday, December 11, 2011, 3 p.m.

Program Topic: Annual Holiday Social

Details: Josephine Martin (205-901-6387) or contact us via e-mail

Come join us as we celebrate the last class for the year.  This is also your chance to renew your membership. Please bring a dish, beverages, dessert, cups, napkins, or plastic ware. Just let us know what you are bringing by calling Eloise Wormely – 205.923.5551 or Josephine Martin – 205.901.6387.

If you have not had a chance to do so, please remember to take our survey for the Beyond the Basics of Genealogy 2012.

Thank you and have a wonderful holiday season.

Southern History Department
Birmingham Public Library

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We had a great first year with our Beyond the Basics of Genealogy series of workshops.  We’re looking at developing our classes for next year, and we need your input.  Please take a few minutes of your time to fill out our survey, and be sure to be on the lookout for our classes in 2012.
Thanks!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/btbsurvey