WWI / Armistice Day Centennial Commemoration - Part 3 of 4

For those interested in more information related to the artifacts and memorabilia on display at the library, we have another display just for you!

In the Genealogy section of the library, near the bank of computers, we have curated an insightful display ready to be checked out.  Books and videos covering events from the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and the sinking of the H.M.S. Lusitania to the entrance of America into the war under President Wilson and the eventual surrender of Germany.

Also included in the display are authors that served or in some way participated in the war effort or were otherwise actively writing during the war.

Don't forget to join in the discussion taking place on the centennial of Armistice Day in the library theatre at 2:00 PM, Sunday, November 11, 2018.  Please sign the guestbook as well!

WWI / Armistice Day Centennial Commemoration - Part 2 of 4

We continue to commemorate and honor the memory of those that served our country during the Great War and its ending on Armistice Day, November 11, 1918.

We would like to thank VFW Post #6477 for providing a mannequin dressed in an authentic WWI uniform for our exhibit.  This enhances our display in ways that photographs can't always do justice by showing much more details.

Speaking of photographs, thank you to everyone that furnished us with photos of their loved ones in uniform.  Taking the information provided, we were able to augment the display of these servicemen with additional documentation of their service.  Information we found included draft registration cards, passenger listings as they traveled to and from Europe documenting the ships they sailed on, and in a few instances, we discovered photographs of the actual ships.

Where did we find this treasure trove of information to help tell their stories?  We used ancestry.com and you can too!  Just stop by the library and use your library card (or get a guest pass) for two hours of discovery.  The information you find can be emailed to you so you have access to it at home.

You still have plenty of time to see the various displays around the library as they will be, including the mannequin, available for viewing through November 30th. 

Genealogy Jamboree and Pioneer Day - Cumberland Gap, Tennesee - October 19-20, 2018

Genealogy Books at the Local Author Fair

An exciting part of the Library's first "Local Author Fair" is the opportunity to purchase local history books!  (There are a total of 23 authors, illustrators, etc., participating in this event.)

The Butler County Genealogy Society will have their books for sale, including their latest, Volume 3 of the Butler County History.

Robert H. Forister is the author of several local history books and will be showcasing his newest publication, "Wayne County Missouri History and Memories of my Childhood There".

Volumes 1 & 2 of "Butler County : a pictorial history" by John Stanard will be available to be purchased.

The library is just one of the many venues to be a part of the "Iron Horse Festival".  Stop by as you celebrate Poplar Bluff's railroad history and browse the works of many talented people from our community!

8 Week Genealogy Class

University of Missouri Extensions’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute delivers courses designed to complement the interests, concerns and lifestyles of the over-50 adult.  New programs for Fall 2014 include Researching Your Family History which will run weekly from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays starting on September 9 and ending October 28. These classes are presented using interactive television (ITV) and will be held at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library. The cost for each course is $90 which includes 8 sessions and handout materials.  For more information on the classes, or to register, call the extension office at 573-686-8064 or visit their website at extension.missouri.edu/butler.

Researching Your Family History

[8 SESSIONS] -- 10–11:30 a.m., Tuesdays
Sept. 9, 16. 23, 30 and Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28

One of the world’s most popular hobbies is genealogy.  You may have dabbled a bit or have already been bitten by the genealogy bug. What starts as simple curiosity can quickly grow into an obsession. People decide to research their family’s history for different reasons, perhaps to understand a little more about themselves and their roots; to give their children a sense of family by providing them with information about their ancestors, where they came from and how they lived; to compile a family medical history; to qualify for a lineage society, such as the Daughters of the American Revolution or Sons of the American Revolution or other heritage societies; or to publish a family history book. Whatever your motivation, this class will examine the “hows” and “wheres” to research your family history. It is helpful if participants have begun the process and know how to complete pedigree charts and family group sheets, either on paper or a computer. Though not required, participants will find access to a computer of benefit since many sources of information are readily available online.

Instructor: Anna L. Martin, EdD, retired educator, has been researching her family tree for more than 30 years. After teaching high school history, it was a natural progression to researching her family history.  She previously taught a genealogy course at NCMC in Trenton, Mo., and two genealogy courses for Osher. She continues to write a monthly genealogy column for her hometown newspaper, the Republican Times in Trenton, and has written articles for the Missouri State Genealogy Society journal and the local Genealogy Society of Central Missouri newsletter. She is a member of the Genealogy Society of Central Missouri in Columbia and the Grundy County Genealogical Society.

Jonesboro Public Library Genealogy Lock-in

Not sure where to look when researching Native American family members or what resources are available?

You're in luck then!  Join our friends at the library in Jonesboro, Arkansas on Saturday, July 19th, for an informative night with fellow genealogists to hear a guest speaker and take advantage of the chance to perform research "after hours".

For more information regarding this event, call 870-935-5133 or visit their website at: libraryinjonesboro.org

Happy researching!!

First Wednesday Computer Classes February & April

Mark your calendars! The regular computer class held the first Wednesday of each month will be mobile device oriented for the genealogy crowd.  If you have an iPad, iPhone, or Android device bring it along or play with one the library owns.  Not into genealogy? No problem! Ideas being presented in the February 6th class will have other practical uses for the non-genealogists.

Please sign up by calling the library (573-686-8639) or stopping by prior to the date of the class since space and available devices are limited!

February 6th, 10 AM, Conference Room - Genealogy on the iPad

iPads are changing the way genealogists go about researching.  No longer are the bulky binders and messy folders of loose, random notes necessary.  Find out how going digital can help streamline and organize your research whether your travel destination is near or far. Don't have an iPad? Many of these ideas easily translate to use on other smartphones and tablet devices!

April 3rd 10 AM, Conference Room - Ancestry.com App Training

Genealogy - there's an app for that!  That's right, Ancestry.com has an app for you to carry around those thousands of cousins you've collected over the years in the palm of your hand and access them with the touch of finger.  Attend and find out how!  Works for iPad/iPhone and Android devices!