1 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries

Who do you think you are?- as a reference question . . .

Seonaid Lewis RLIANZ senior librarian, family historyCentral Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries

LIANZA Conference 2014Pou whakairo – thrive and connect

2 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries

Genealogya study of pedigree

• Names• Birth date• Marriage• Death – connecting relationships

3 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries

Family history – a study of pedigree& history

• Personal history• Oral history• Social history• Local history• National history• World history

• Military history• House history• Ethnic history• Religious history

- Finding and verifying the stories

4 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries

Benefits of family history research• 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

ReinforcementsSir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 31-J1890

5 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries

Why the popularity?

6 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries

The Karen Kalopulu Family History Lock-In

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

10203040506070

Lock-in Attendees • 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

• Closes Family History Month• Pre-Lock-In Tour of the Research Centre• Pre-Lock-In Seminar

7 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries

Family history lunchtime series

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 (to end Aug)

05

10152025303540

Lunchtime Sessions - Talks& Average attendance per talk

SessionsAve per event

8 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries

Family history month statistics

2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

20

40

60

80

100

120

Family History Month - Talks& Average attendance per talk

Talks

Ave per event

  Talks Ave per event Attendees2010 9 18 1612011 34 17 5792012 41 20 8162013 64 22 1387

2014 105 14 1450

Statistics for speakers from Central Auckland Research Centre

• 2014 – three people delivered 35 sessions each

9 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries

Region-wide total  Talks Ave per event Attendees

2010 9 18 1612011 26 21 5422012 42 20 8362013 64 22 1387

2014 120 14 1689

2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Overall Family History Month – Talks & average attendance per talk

TalksAve per event

Statistics for all speakers from across Auckland Libraries

• From one speaker in 2010 to 12 speakers across the region

10 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries

Reference desk enquiries• 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

2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Desk enquiries at the Central Auckland Research Centre

Mnthly ave (excl Aug)

Aug

• Local librarians are able to help them with queries

11 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries

2014 Family History Month

• 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;

• 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; • 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)

• Beginners and intermediate-advanced strands• Children, teens and adults sessions

12 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries

Promoting events• Library website• Posters and leaflets• Social media:- Facebook, Twitter . . . .• Eventfinda• Library Listservs• Genealogy mailing lists• Rootschat forum• Community newspapers• Occasionally national press

13 “Who do you think you are?” as a reference question – Seonaid Lewis, family history librarian, Auckland Libraries

Benefits to Auckland Libraries• 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

14 “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 . . .