Who do you think you are?
- as a reference question . . .
Seonaid Lewis RLIANZ
senior librarian, family history
Central Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries
LIANZA Conference 2014
1 Pou
“Who dowhakairo
you think you are?”
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– Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries
–asthrive
Genealogy
a study of pedigree
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Names
Birth date
Marriage
Death
– connecting relationships
2 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries
Family history –
a study of pedigree
& history
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Personal history
Oral history
Social history
Local history
National history
World history
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Military history
House history
Ethnic history
Religious history
- Finding and verifying the stories
3 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries
Benefits of family history research
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Sense of belonging
Info-literacy skills
History and heritage
Brings families together
Adds to the nation’s
knowledge of history
Group portrait of Jonkers family with Private Cyril Gladwin
Jonkers, Reg No 12/3372, of the Auckland Infantry Regiment,
8th Reinforcements
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 31-J1890
4 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries
Why the popularity?
5 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries
The Karen Kalopulu Family History Lock-In
Lock-in Attendees
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80
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60
40
20
40-50 attendees each year, from all over
New Zealand
Two people have come to all 10
40% have come to more than five
Attendees from Australia & the UK
0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
• Closes Family History Month
• Pre-Lock-In Tour of the Research Centre
• Pre-Lock-In Seminar
6 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries
Family history lunchtime series
Lunchtime Sessions - Talks
& Average attendance per talk
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sessions
2010
2011
2012
7 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries
2013
2014 (to
end Aug)
Family history month statistics
Talks
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Ave per event Attendees
9
18
161
34
17
579
41
20
816
64
22
1387
1450
105
14
Family History Month - Talks
& Average attendance per talk
120
100
Talks
80
Ave per
event
60
Statistics for speakers from Central
Auckland Research Centre
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2014 – three people delivered
35 sessions each
40
20
0
2010
2011
2012
2013
8 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries
2014
Region-wide total
Talks
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Overall Family History Month –
Talks & average attendance per talk
140
Ave per event Attendees
9
18
161
26
21
542
42
20
836
64
22
1387
1689
120
14
Statistics for all speakers from
across Auckland Libraries
120
100
80
Talks
Ave per event
60
40
20
•
From one speaker in 2010
to 12 speakers across the
region
0
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
9 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries
Reference desk enquiries
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Family history month talks
initially increased desk inquiries
in August – hugely in 2012
As events have increased the
statistics have settled down
People are busy attending
events
People are realising that we
have online resources they can
use at their own branch
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Desk enquiries at the Central Auckland Research Centre
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
Mnthly ave
(excl Aug)
1000
Aug
500
0
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Local librarians are able to help them with queries
10 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries
2014 Family History Month
• Beginners and intermediate-advanced strands
• Children, teens and adults sessions
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Auckland Libraries family history
eResources;
Beginners guide to Ancestry;
Beginners guide to FindMyPast;
Beginning your family history;
Brick walls: tips and tricks to help
solve your family history puzzle;
British Newspaper Archive;
Captives of the Kaiser:
Researching Prisoners of War
during the First World War;
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Doing family history: a journey to
Matakana;
Family history roadshow;
Hospital records;
Military: The use of the official
histories;
Newspapers and magazines for
family history;
Pacific Island resources;
Passenger lists and immigration;
Poor law;
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Probate and wills;
Question and answer sessions;
Researching First World War
records;
Researching your Irish ancestry;
Searching for your family on the
internet;
Whakapapa storytime;
Whakapapa for adults;
Whakapapa for rangatahi
(children)
11 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries
Promoting events
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Library website
Posters and leaflets
Social media:- Facebook, Twitter . . . .
Eventfinda
Library Listservs
Genealogy mailing lists
Rootschat forum
Community newspapers
Occasionally national press
12 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries
Benefits to Auckland Libraries
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Customer satisfaction
Increase staff skills and knowledge across the region
Increase visits to libraries and research centres
Showcase the online Family History eResources on Auckland Libraries Digital
Library
Highlight the family and local history collections at Central Auckland Research
Centre and the other Research Centres
Discuss the special collections held at Sir George Grey Special Collections
Raises Auckland Libraries profile nationally and internationally
13 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries
Where to from here?
Improve access for customers:
• Remote film-viewers?
• CD-Roms loaded to server?
• Videoing for pod-casts?
• Live-streaming?
• More digitization . . .
14 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries