Join us again in Fall of 2022! After reading and discussing New England author Rachael Cerrotti’s memoir “We Share the Same Sky,” now we get to research our own family histories and tell our own stories.
Copies of “We Share the Same Sky” are still available at the Public Services Desk at all three branches. E-books and E-audio are available on Libby.
Rachael Cerrotti is back for hands-on, interactive programs starting on September 22, 2022. These fall programs continue the themes explored in the book, while also including stories and content from her new podcast, “The Memory Generation.”
This year-long, interactive, community-based project includes book discussions, genealogy and discovering your roots programs, arts and crafts programs, and more ways to connect with your neighbors.
Up next in Fall 2022 are an online program where community members can learn about oral histories and how to use them to research family history, a workshop on archiving and preserving family photos, and learning about storytelling from Rachael Cerrotti in her engaging style.
Schedule of Events
September 22, 2022 - Oral Histories and Testimony with Rachael Cerrotti
Sign up here.
The Peabody Institute Library welcomes back author and documentary storyteller Rachael Cerrotti for an interactive, online workshop on how to research your own family history using recorded testimony and oral histories.
Rachael will speak about her work with USC Shoah Foundation and other institutions, and give us suggestions for how we may use those resources in retelling our own family stories. At the beginning of the year, patrons read Rachael’s memoir “We Share the Same Sky: A Memoir of Memory and Migration,” and had the opportunity to discuss it with the author and attend lectures about the book. This fall, we invite community members to create their own family histories and tell their own stories, with instruction and inspiration from the author, including stories from her new podcast, “The Memory Generation.”
This event is partly funded by a grant from the Mass Cultural Council.
September 29, 2022 - Getting Started with Genealogy
Sign up here.
Getting Started with Genealogy, an introductory genealogy class taught by Jennifer Smith, will be held at the South Branch Library on Thursday, September 29th from 7:00 to 8:30PM. This program is one of many programs being offered as part of Roots to Kinship, a year-long community engagement project hosted by the Peabody Institute Library.
In this class, you will learn how to get started with genealogy research, such as organizing information and planning and documenting your research and results. The most useful types of records and where to find them, including the major genealogy databases will be covered, as well as tips for successfully searching the databases.
Jennifer L. Smith, PLCGS, is a professional genealogist with expertise in both traditional documentary and genetic genealogical research techniques. Her career in the biopharmaceutical industry provided a foundation in the science of DNA which is directly applicable to genetic genealogy. Jennifer provides comprehensive family history research projects for clients including genetic genealogy when applicable, consultations on research problems or DNA analysis, and coaching for developing genealogists.
Jennifer has been doing family history research for herself, friends and family for over 30 years, having been introduced to genealogy by her mother as a teenager. She began researching seriously over 20 years ago, pursuing more comprehensive research, and attending genealogical conferences and seminars to continuously improve her research and analysis skills. Jennifer’s work on her Revolutionary era Smith family has been published as part of a research project by the eminent New England Historic Genealogical Society.
This event is partly funded by a grant from the Mass Cultural Council.
October 20, 2022 - Introduction to DNA in Genealogical Research
Sign up here.
Introduction to DNA in Genealogical Research, a class presented by Jennifer Smith, will be held at the South Branch Library on Thursday, October 20th from 7:00 to 8:30PM. In this class, you will learn how to make use of DNA testing in your genealogical research. The types of available DNA tests and benefits of each will be reviewed. You will learn how to use ethnicity estimates for clues and how to use DNA matches to further your family tree.
Jennifer L. Smith, PLCGS, is a professional genealogist with expertise in both traditional documentary and genetic genealogical research techniques. Her career in the biopharmaceutical industry provided a foundation in the science of DNA which is directly applicable to genetic genealogy. Jennifer provides comprehensive family history research projects for clients including genetic genealogy when applicable, consultations on research problems or DNA analysis, and coaching for developing genealogists.
Jennifer has been doing family history research for herself, friends and family for over 30 years, having been introduced to genealogy by her mother as a teenager. She began researching seriously over 20 years ago, pursuing more comprehensive research, and attending genealogical conferences and seminars to continuously improve her research and analysis skills. Jennifer’s work on her Revolutionary era Smith family has been published as part of a research project by the eminent New England Historic Genealogical Society.
This event is partly funded by a grant from the Mass Cultural Council.
October 25, 2022 - Making Family Albums that Last
Sign up link coming soon!
Join our local history librarian, Catherine Badal, to learn how to preserve your family or community photos and other memoribilia in albums that will last for generations. Learn how to use photos, documents, and other keepsakes to tell your family’s story and dig into your roots.
December 6 & 13, 2022 - Storytelling Workshop with Rachael Cerrotti
Sign up link coming soon!
Join Rachael Cerrotti in-person for a two part Storytelling Workshop. Learn how to turn your famliy histories into dynamic and interesting stories that can be peformed or recorded for your family archives.
The Memory Generation: A podcast with Rachael Cerrotti
The Memory Generation is a series of conversations with some remarkable humans about the memories they have inherited and the impact stories have as they are passed from one generation to the next. In each episode, Rachael digs into the themes that have kept her entrenched in her grandmother’s story for all of these years, except now she gets to learn about other people’s cultures and inherited histories.
You can listen to The Memory Generation on the website or wherever you get your podcasts.
Call the library if you have questions about how to listen to a podcast!
