Find your roots through easy-to-do genealogy

CHICAGO — A guide to the joys and rewards of preserving family history for posterity, “Finding Your Roots: Easy-to-Do Genealogy and Family History,” by Janice Schultz, offers advice and encouragement to anyone eager to uncover their family roots. Getting started, research techniques, interviewing tips and effective use of the library and Internet are all discussed in detail in this book that is ideal for beginners.

A librarian and authority on genealogical research, Schultz also discusses the benefits and importance of genealogical research, how a person's own identity is linked to their ancestors and how knowledge of forebears can contribute to a sense of security and family pride that is missing in many mobile and disjointed families now. Showing how a soundly researched family history can also enhance an individual’s understanding of war, hardship and larger historical events, this work offers insight into the personality traits and health issues of one’s ancestors. The book is published by Huron Street Press, a trade publishing imprint of the American Library Association available through Independent Publishers Group as well as numerous traditional retail outlets in both print and e-book editions.

Schultz retired in 2013 as the genealogy librarian/branch manager of the Midwest Genealogy Center of the Mid-Continent Public Library, where she worked for 26 years. She has served ALA’s Reference and User Services Division (RUSA) as the history section chair, the genealogy committee chair and the local history chair. Currently president of the Missouri State Genealogical Association, she frequently teaches genealogy classes at the Midwest Genealogy Center and in the local community. She has lectured at genealogy conferences throughout the state, at the Missouri Library Association Conference and at ALA's Annual Conference. Some of her classes are available online.

In line with ALA’s mission to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all, Huron Street Press, a publishing imprint of the American Library Association, harnesses the expertise of the Association and encourages library use among the public. Huron Street Press is administered through ALA Editions, which publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5418 or editionsmarketing@ala.org.

Related Links

"Finding Your Roots: Easy-to-Do Genealogy and Family History"

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Huron Street Press

Midwest Genealogy Center, Independence, Missouri

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