by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Janet Howard, assistant director of the Family History Center in Arlington, said she’s pretty sure she knows why so many people are interested in genealogy.
“We can’t fully understand who we are unless we know who our ancestors were. Genealogy is a way to fully appreciate what our ancestors did for us,” she said.
Howard was one of the organizers of the inaugural North Florida Genealogy Conference March 12 at the Main Library.
More than 350 attendees spent the day Downtown learning about tracing their family lineage and exploring the resources available at the library.
The Family History Center is an affiliate of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, which contains the vast collection of genealogical materials belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Resources include Census data, birth, marriage, death, military and church records. Much of the material is available on the Internet.
As an affiliate of the library in Utah, the local Family History Center has access to all of those records and also maintains a collection of vital statistics relating to more than 50,000 names found in records from Florida and Georgia.
Howard became interested in genealogy almost 40 years ago when she joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“I took a class and got the bug. There have been times I’ve been at my computer until four o’clock in the morning,” she said.
The Main Library is also an affiliate of the Family History Center through the Special Collections department. It’s an extensive inventory of material relating to Florida and the Southeastern United States plus reference materials dating back as far as the original 13 American colonies.
“People come to the library every day to use our resources. Sometimes. they’re here for days. It’s like being a detective,” said Special Collections Supervisor Patricia Morrison.
She said the Main Library has one of the largest collections of family records in the state. Duval County records dating back to 1870 are offered in bound volumes and on microfilm.
As an affiliate of the Family History Center, the largest collection in the world is available to customers at the Main Library. The Jacksonville Public Library also subscribes to the “Ancestral Library Edition” online database.
Part of Genealogy Librarian David Fuller Jr.’s job is helping people discover the records and find the information that will lead them to their ancestors. Like Howard, he understands why the study of one’s family history can be so fascinating.
“People are naturally curious about things they don’t know, particularly about themselves. You can find a lot more here than just statistical data. You can find family connections,” he said.
“People get excited when they discover things about their ancestors they didn’t know,” said Morrison.
Part of the collection specializes in African-American ancestral records. Morrison said there are extensive resources like cemetery and newspaper records and the library is planning a workshop for African-Americans interested in tracing their ancestors.
Fuller said the records at the library are organized, labeled and “easy to use on your own. Some people who come here are beginners and some come here after they’ve already gathered a lot of information. We’re glad to assist customers if they wish.”
To learn more about the Main Library’s genealogy resources, visit the fourth floor of the library, www.jpl.coj.net (click on “Special Collections” on the home page, then “Genealogy Collection”) or call 630-2409.
356-2466