All 2026 Programs for the Public take place over Zoom. All programs require registration to attend. Unless noted, all programs take place on the first Thursday of each month.
Official souvenir books are publications produced to commemorate special events, exhibitions, or celebrations. As printing technology evolved, their use expanded to include tourism campaigns that attracted visitors to destinations across Michigan. Learn about the history of these publications and discover how they provide both images and context for your family history research.
This presentation discusses the migration of Blacks to Michigan in the mid-1880s, before the Great Migration from the south, with specific examples in Marquette, Midland, and Detroit.
Guest Speaker: Rozlyn Kelly
The early settlement period of Michigan is often a challenging area for researchers. Explore ways to navigate these barriers through content at the Library of Michigan that spans the Old Northwest, the Territory of Michigan, and the initial decades following Michigan’s statehood. Learn about key resources for researching this period, including the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Collections.
Prior to 1867, Michigan had no statewide system for recording vital events, making it difficult to locate documentation of birth, marriage, and death from the state’s early decades of statehood. Explore the initial legislation and practices that eventually led to statewide civil registration of major life events. Review alternative sources that may provide key details when a vital record was lost or never recorded.
Description Pending
Guest Speaker: Jonathan Quint
Join Jane Bentley Turo, Senior Reference Librarian at the New York State Library, for an informative look at the New York State Library’s local history and genealogy resources. This webinar will highlight collections relevant to family research, including published genealogies; newsletters and journals from genealogical societies; local histories of New York State regions, cities, and towns; Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) resources specific to New York; historical newspapers; city directories; and family history research databases. Attendees will learn about the New York State Library’s family history collections, how to access library resources, and tips for researching New York ancestors. This program is ideal for genealogists, local historians, or anyone interested in exploring their New York roots.
The New York State Library's Regent Joseph E. Bowman Jr. Research Library, established in 1818, collects, preserves and provides access to materials that support the work of New York State government. The Library's collections, numbering over 20 million items, are widely used by New York State employees, New York State residents and researchers from around the world.
Guest Speaker: Jane Bently Turo
Explore two compelling case studies of unrelated New York families who migrated to the Michigan Territory and became pioneers of pre-statehood townships. This presentation delves into the methodology for uncovering elusive pre-statehood records, interpreting scarce clues, and resolving conflicting evidence to trace and confirm family relationships.
Guest Speaker: Katherine Willson
Michigan’s statehood commenced a period of rapid growth and change for the Upper Peninsula region. The discovery of mineral resources, the arrival of diverse immigrant communities, and the shift towards forestry and tourism can be traced through the publications of the period. Explore key resources that illustrate the Upper Peninsula’s lasting cultural identity.
Take a virtual tour through the Library of Michigan Rare Book Collection. View unique items that showcase Michigan’s early history and connect with the America250MI celebration.
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) was established by the Land Ordinance of 1785 to create a standardized method for surveying and dividing public lands in the United States, primarily in territories west of the original colonies. Learn how the PLSS divides land locations into a grid system of townships and sections. Review key strategies for applying the PLSS to your family history research.
Explore the digital options for saving your family history research. Explore the variety of desktop and web-based applications researchers can use for organizing their data. Review best practices for both using these applications and uploading digital scans of records to the software.
Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, and FamilySearch.org are online family history resources used by researchers all over the world. Come explore each platform’s key features, strengths, and limitations. Gain insights into each resource in order to best navigate their content in a way that allows the maximum use of what each platform provides.
Note: Session will focus on the Library Editions of Ancestry.com and MyHeritage.com.
Staff presenters from the Library of Michigan include:
Direct all questions about virtual programs to Librarian@Michigan.gov or 517-335-1477.
Bio pending
Katherine R. Willson (Dexter, Michigan) has been passionate about family history since obtaining her “My Heritage” Girl Scout badge as an 8-year-old, and is now an engaging and dynamic educator at regional, national, and international genealogy events.
She founded the Virtual Genealogical Association, is past president of the Michigan Genealogical Council, past board member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, and teaches at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the National Genealogical Society’s GRIP Institute.
Katherine’s research includes Michigan Territory’s pre-statehood settlers, 19th century social reform movements, and America’s westward expansion in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Her website, SocialMediaGenealogy.com, provides free resources for family historians, including genealogy forms, oral history interview questions, and curated catalogs of genealogy-focused Facebook groups, YouTube channels, and podcasts.
