Author Archives: Regina Fitzpatrick

About Regina Fitzpatrick

I'm the Genealogy Librarian here at the State Library. I love researching New Jersey Family History, and am always happy to help researchers delve further into their ancestries. Please feel free to stop by and say hello!

Recap: Researching Revolutionary and Civil War Service Records for NJ Residents

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Thank you to those who attended today’s webinar on Researching New Jersey Revolutionary and Civil War Records. Here’s what we discussed:

Revolutionary War Records at the New Jersey State Archives:

Check William Stryker’s Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War for your soldier. This is a basic listing of soldier’s names and where they served. If you don’t find your soldier, it’s still worth checking the records. You can order records remotely from the State Archives.  Remember, Stryker’s will largely not identify soldiers by race, and New Jersey had integrated service units during the Revolution.

Indexed alphabetically by soldier’s last name. Two parts:

  1. Compiled Service Card: Contains an overall summary of a soldier’s service (may also include somebiographical information taken from pension abstract. Remember, Archives will not send pension details because the records are owned by the National Archives).  If you don’t find your soldier here, still check the Slips.
  2. Rev War Slips: Abstracts of an individual document where a soldier is mentioned. The Slip will cite the document for full access. A soldier can have several of these (especially if an officer) or very few. The Slips are the key to finding documents relevant to your soldier’s service.

 Rev War military documents are mostly pay records and muster rolls. For biographical info, see Pensions

Federal Revolutionary War Pension Files:

Owned by the National Archives and available on HeritageQuest (NJ Residents can get access with public library card via Jersey Clicks.)

Contain personal information, which might include: age, birth date and place, spouse name and marriage date, and current place of residence.

Other Revolutionary War Records we did not discuss:

 Loyalist Muster Rolls and Records, Confiscated Loyalist Estate records, and Revolutionary War Damage Claims are available from the State Archives. To request items from these collections, please e-mail the New Jersey State Archives at njarchives@sos.nj.gov.

Collections of the David Library of the American Revolution have been transferred to the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. These records are now know as the David Center for the American Revolution.

Civil War Records at the New Jersey State Archives:

Remember that the records referenced below refer to NJ-raised regiments, and these were segregated.  Those who served in United States Colored Troops (USCT) are discussed separately.  Organized by regiment. William Stryker’s Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Civil War serves as an index, providing Regiment and Company for each soldier.

The Archives’ Civil War database searches a transcribed version of Stryker for your soldier. You may order a soldier’s military records remotely from this database.

Again, very little biographical information, mostly pay and muster rolls.

Muster Rolls by Congressional District (if your soldier enlisted in late 1863 through April 11, 1865), Civil War Treasury Vouchers (if your soldier enlisted before late 1863), Bound Muster Rolls (if nothing is found in the Regimental Records), and Civil War Cartes de Visite will also be searched as part of your Civil War research request.

Federal Civil War Pension Records:

 Owned by the National Archives and available on Fold3.com (subscription site).

Detailed personal information and possible supporting documentation, much more specific than Rev War Pensions. Will also include great detail about service and any injuries or illnesses sustained during service.

Civil War soldier much more likely to have a pension than Rev War soldier, so definitely check this collection!  Right now, Ancestry and Fold3 are working to digitize the Widow’s Pensions.  As of today, the collection is 22% complete.  Any pension file not yet digitized can be requested from the National Archives.

United States Colored Troops (USCT):

Records for USCT members from New Jersey can be ordered from the State Archives. Please e-mail staff at

Company E 4th USCT ca. 1864

njarchives@sos.nj.gov for more information.  Records available include:

USCT Service Files

Volunteer Certificates, 1864 (check this collection if your soldier served in 43rd or 45th Regiments!)

Muster Rolls

Rosters of Soldiers

The National Archives has additional records and information on USCT soldiers. Wikipedia and Family Search Wiki both have fantastic articles on USCT.   If your soldier was of Asian or Native descent, it’s worth checking USCT for their service records!

New Jersey State Archives Van Wickle Slave Ring Free Digital Collection

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On June 20th, the State Library presented our annual Juneteenth Celebration Lecture with Kristal Langford and Toni Hendrix of the Lost Souls Memorial Project.  This non-profit organization is dedicated to preserving the memory and resilience of the victims of the Van Wickle human trafficking ring, which operated out of Middlesex County, and was exposed to great public outrage in 1818.  Jacob Van Wickle, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, signed off on the transportation of enslaved persons by his brother-in-law Charles Morgan to Louisiana.  At least 137 people were transported.  Ms. Langford detailed the events and highlighted the stories of those transported, many of them young mothers and children.

The New Jersey State Archives has created the Van Wickle Slave Ring Digital Collection, a free, online collection of historical documents related to the Van Wickle human trafficking operation.  These documents come from a variety of the State Archives’ collections and validate the existence of these tragic events in New Jersey history. The digital collection includes:  court documents, newspaper articles, petitions, and relevant laws from several different collections at the State Archives.

The original manuscripts within the digital collection are available for viewing at the New Jersey State Archives.  Please visit the State Archives website to make a research appointment.

Vivian Thiele, Archivist and curator of the digital collection, sat down with NJSL Genealogy Librarian Regina Fitzpatrick to highlight the collection items and offer advice and insights on how to further research the 1818 events.

Some useful resources mentioned in the discussion but not part of the digital collection:

  1. Digitized Historic New Jersey Newspapers Research Guide – find where select New Jersey newspapers have been digitized. Please note that the State Library does not subscribe to some of the services mentioned.
  2. New Jersey Supreme Court Case Files – researchers can select ethnicity or search by name to find court case documents related to enslaved persons.
  3. Middlesex County Manumissions Book (vol. XI in collection) – mixed in with manumissions are transportation agreements, including those “agreeing” to be transported to Louisiana by Charles Morgan and related parties. This resource is available for in person use only on microfilm at the New Jersey State Archives.  The original book is owned by Rutgers University.  (Please see the additional information at the bottom of the post for digital access.)
  4. Middlesex County Court of Common Pleas minute books (see volumes XXII and XXIII for 1818) -minute books provide a timeline of events for court cases passing through the Court, possibly including the ruling or outcome of the case. Again, this resource is available for in-person microfilm use at the State Archives, and the original records are owned by Rutgers University.  If you are not able to visit the State Archives, please contact Rutgers.
  5. Norman’s Chart of the Lower Mississippi River (1858) – shows Charles Morgan’s plantation in Louisiana named Morganzia. A portion of this map is shown during the discussion video.  This is where many of the victims of the 1818 trafficking operation were bound.  Other property owners of note include: S. Van Wickle and J.C. Van Wickle.
  6. NJ Department of Transportation’s January 2008 issue of Cultural Digest, featuring information on the Morgan Pottery. The publication includes genealogical information on the Van Wickle and Morgan families.

If you have any questions regarding the Van Wickle Slave Ring Digital Collection, or the associated documents, please contact njarchives@sos.nj.gov or (609) 292-6260.

Happy Juneteenth, everyone!

Update:

Jesse Bayker, Digital Archivist at the Scarlet and Black Research Center at Rutgers University, has kindly provided the following information regarding Rutgers’ digital collections with information on the Van Wickle Human Trafficking ring:

I wanted to let you know that our team at the Scarlet and Black Research Center has digitized the records from the Middlesex County book, and we have indexed all manumission and removal certificates for the county. All names from the book can be searched on our website now.  Here are some links that may be useful:

To browse the manumission records, patrons can go to our Events browse page and select “Manumission” from the Event Type drop-down menu.

Blog Recap: Introduction to Italian Citizenship via Descent (Jure Sanguinis)

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We were thrilled to welcome former New Jersey State Library Reference Librarian Benjamin Saracco to talk about his experience getting Italian Citizenship through his great grandfather.

What is Jure Sanguinis?

Jure Sanguinis is a right of citizenship through descent from an Italian citizen.  More information about Jure Sanguinis is available from the Italian Consulate of Philadelphia.

Some things that were reviewed in class

  • Who is eligible to apply for Italian citizenship through descent?
  • What kind of documentation do you need?
  • Family History research tips and tricks to prove your eligibility
  • What to do when you have all of your documentation gathered

If you need advice or assistance with research to find your Italian citizen ancestor, you may want to hire a local professional genealogist to help you navigate the process.

Research Library Spotlight: Genealogy Charts and Family Trees

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Image of Family History Chart B

Image of Family History ChartFor years, researchers have kindly donated their family history compilations to the State Library.  Most of these items are published family histories or research notes, which are included in our Genealogy Collection.  Included in donations were large family trees, either filled with family details or left blank as a guide to help other researchers create a visualization of their own line of descent.

The collection of Family History Charts consists of roughly 165 family trees stored in 18 folders.  The charts generally show a single line of descent from a notable individual.  Subjects in the collection include:  King George IV of England, General George Washington, David Brearley, and Mayflower passengers.  There are also blank charts, great for using to chart your own line of descent!

Currently, there is a summary table for the family history charts that has a main family surname, plus drawer and folder number where you can find the relevant tree.  The does not include every surname that appears on each chart, just the main line of descent.  Check out the Family History Charts Quick Guide!

It’s wonderful to see so many visual representations of someone’s family history research!  Even if your family is not represented in the collection, please feel free to use the compiled charts as inspiration to create your own family tree.  Looking for some free digital charts?  Check out these options from the National Archives!

For questions about this collection, please contact Genealogy Librarian Regina Fitzpatrick at rfitzpatrick@njstatelib.org.

Family Photos and Ancestor Authors

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This guest blog post was contributed by Ed Davenport, Associate Director for MIS at Thomas Edison State University.

Joseph Percy (G.G. Grandfather) and Lillian Crayon (G. Grandmother).

Many years ago, I was helping my dad clean out his uncle’s attic, and I found old cameras and negatives in the attic.

I was able to print these negatives in my college’s dark room and sat with my grandmother, who was able to help identify the people and places in the pictures.  Many of the images showed events in her family’s neighborhood.  The local school had a fire in the bell tower and there

Leroy and Johanna Davenport (Ed’s grandparents, who were neighbors growing up.  Ed’s grandfather had just returned from France)

were pictures of that.  And more importantly, there were pictures of my grandparents as children, who actually grew up a few doors down from each other.

There were also pictures of my great, great grandfather.  I learned that he was a schoolteacher, a photographer, and as it turned out an author.  He published a book titled The Rockaway Records.

But life, as it does for so many, moved on and the pictures were once again stored.  I got married and started my own family and moved several times.   The cameras and the negatives always moved with me.  Finding the cameras and negatives did start a lifelong passion for photography with me, but I never really kept up with all the family history during this

time.  From time to time, I would find things of interest.  Dad and I discovered a photo album in his brother’s possession that held pictures of his father and mother as well as his brother and sister.

Ed’s grandmother Johanna, and Dad E. Louis Davenport. Dad had just returned from Korea.

Fast forward to 2018, my dad had recently passed away and my mom gave me a plastic tub that was the ‘family history’.  There were family tree drawings and some pictures I hadn’t seen before that my dad had collected over the years.  In the tub was the book the Rockaway Records.  I had known that my great, great, grandfather was a civil war veteran and that he was part of Battery D, 4th NJ Light Artillery.  I knew where they served during the war, but from reading through his book, I found stories of his time during the war!

My future goal is to take all the family photos from past generations and digitize them and to record all the family stories to share with our current and future generations much as my great great grandfather did for us.

 

 

 

 

The Rockaway Records, written by Ed’s ancestor J. Percy Crayon, is available at the New Jersey State Library!  The book, published in 1902, describes history and families of Rockaway, Morris County, New Jersey.  You can also find digitized versions online!

 

About Ed: I am the Associate Director for MIS at Thomas Edison State University.  I have been with the University for 17 years.  I am an avid photographer, and enjoy reading about history.  Contact: edavenport@tesu.edu.

Blog recap of Webinar: Death Records: The Linchpin of Genealogy Research

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Thanks everyone for joining us for yesterday’s class on death records.  As I mentioned in class, when most of you write to me, you’re looking for information that can be found on an individual’s death record (even though your question may have nothing to do with the person’s death).  This is because the information provided on the record often includes the following:

  • Name
  • Birthdate
  • Marital Status
  • Parents’ Names
  • Place of Birth
  • Information on Illness and Death
  • Undertaker and Place of Burial

During class, we reviewed information on New Jersey Deaths May 1848-Present (the vital records era) and New Jersey deaths outside of the vital records era, as well as non-New Jersey deaths.  Remember, for New Jersey deaths, the records themselves are not digitized.  However, indexes to NJ Death Records through 2016 are available online.

Note: Order NJ Death Records May 1848-December 1930 from New Jersey State Archives.  Order 1931-2016 records from NJ Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics and Registry.

Here are some of the great resources to help you research deaths:

If you have any further questions about death records and why they are so useful to your research, please let me know!

Webinar: Introduction to New Jersey Genealogy (Naturalizations) Program Recap

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Thanks so much to everyone who attended yesterday’s updated Introduction to New Jersey Genealogy class.  I hope that even if you’ve attended this class before, you enjoyed learning something new!  Please see the bottom of the post for the class recording and a copy of the slides.  Remember, the slides are highly detailed on purpose so that you can use them for future reference!  Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions.

What We Covered

  1.   Genealogy Basics-defined what genealogy is and its basic mission: to locate a birth, marriage, and death record for each generation, starting with the researcher and working backward.
  2. Primary Documents (records) and Secondary Resources (books).  Most NJ Genealogy primary documents are at the New Jersey State Archives.  Many secondary resources are part of the New Jersey State Library’s Genealogy Collection.
  3. Learned about NJ Vital Records (Birth, Marriage, and Death) 1848-present and NJ County Naturalization Records (late 18th century-mid 20th Century).
  4. Learned about resources from the State library’s Genealogy Collection and what was accessible from home.

Slides: Introduction to NJ Genealogy (Naturalizations)

Interview Tips and Tricks Class Recap

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The interview is the final stage to finally getting that new or dream job. Your resume impressed, now it’s your chance to convince them that you are the best person for the job.  However, the interview process can be daunting and it’s important to be confident and well-spoken. The following tips will help you build your interview skills and are applicable to any interview situation, from a preliminary phone interview to a formal panel interview.

Preparing for the Interview

First and foremost, it is important to prepare for your interview through a variety of ways.  You should have an understanding of your career goals so that you can effectively communicate them to others.  Also, be prepared to discuss everything in your resume and cover letter because you never know what questions will be asked of you.  Before the interview, look up some common interview questions and practice how you would answer.  Practicing your answers allows you to come up with appropriate responses and remain confident throughout the interview.  Check to make sure your social media presence is clean and appropriate as some employers may look to see what you are posting before deciding whether to extend an interview.  Avoid embarrassing or compromising pictures and stay away from public posts on controversial topics, such as politics or religion.

One of the most overlooked aspects of preparing for an interview is to research the company or organization.  By understanding more of the company’s values or goals, you can tailor your interview answer to align with them and find important information that you may want to ask about in the interview.  Look for mission statements, press releases, or strategic plans on their website or check out Glassdoor or LinkedIn for more information you can use to better inform your answers and career decisions.

Some of the most popular interview questions you should be familiar with are:

  • Tell me about yourself
  • What are your strengths/weaknesses
  • Where do you see yourself in ___ years
  • Tell me about a time when…

Being prepared to answer these questions with thoughtful and appropriate responses will set a positive tone for the interview process and demonstrate your confidence in your own abilities.  Let’s take a look at 2 methods to help us answer the different types of interview questions we may encounter.

SHARP Method

The SHARP Method is designed to help you craft answers to more general or information questions, such as tell me about yourself or what are your strengths/weaknesses.   SHARP stands for:

S – Specific
H – Honest
A – Appropriate
R – Relevant
P – Positive

When asked about yourself, use the SHARP method to discuss your previous position(s) that are applicable to the field or career, talk about specific duties or accomplishments, and avoid negative critiques of former employers or supervisors.  Here is an good example of an answer using the SHARP Method:

I was a laboratory technician at BigTech Pharmaceuticals for 4 years in their research division. Primarily, I was responsible for entering datasets and researching current medical patents and chemical standards. I worked closely with scientists and was involved in the development of ________.  Before BigTech, I worked as an research assistant at the Cancer Research Center of Medical University while I finished my Master’s Degree in chemical engineering.  There, I assisted PhD students and doctors in preparing laboratory equipment for use and ordering supplies.

SOAR Method

For more situational questions that ask you how you handled a situation or need to elaborate on a specific outcome, use the SOAR Method.  SOAR stands for:

S – Situation
O – Obstacle
A – Action
R – Result

Clearly identifying each of these components in your response will demonstrate your ability to identify problems, weigh your options, and come to a reasonable solution to the obstacle.  These questions are designed to test your critical-thinking and problem-solving skills and are a great way to bring in experiences from other jobs that may not be related to the career or job your are currently in or applying for.  There are no “right” answers to these questions, so use positive examples from your past that highlight your qualifications.  Here is a great example of using the SOAR Method to answer a question about a workplace issue with a positive result:

While I worked very well with my colleagues, my supervisor did not like the way I entered the data. I explained to him that I found a better way to enter the data but he was skeptical of the new method. I was able to demonstrate to him that by entering the data in a different way, I was able cut down the data entry time by 25% and capture another element of the data that may be useful if the results need to be replicated.  As a result, we were able to finish the research ahead of schedule and save the company some money.

Do Not Answer

It is important to point out that there are questions that employers are NOT allowed to ask you.  These relate to:

  • Martial status
  • Race, religion, national origin
  • Sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation
  • Disability or pregnancy
  • Current or previous salary/benefits (NJ specific)

If an interviewer attempts to ask you any of these questions, politely decline to answer and shift the focus back onto the job and your qualifications as a candidate.  Additionally, you should not ask about salary in the interview unless it is disclosed by the interviewer.  If you wish to know the salary of a position, you can inquire with the HR department, which may disclose that information, or check Glassdoor, through which current and former employees may post their salary and other useful information about the employer.

COVID-19 Recommendations

With the global pandemic, many places are reverting to virtual platforms to conduct interviews rather than in-person.  With this change comes a variety of challenges and modifications to consider.  Ensure that you have a reliable phone and internet connection so that you have the best change to connect to the interview or receive an interview over the phone.  There are many different video conferencing/chat platforms out there, each with their own features and interface, so the more you can practice and familiarize yourself with them, the better you will be.  Try to practice with a family member, friend, or colleague; if it is a program that you need pay to set up a meeting, ask your contact person if you could have a practice session. Additionally, you may be required to go through more interviews so the process may be longer than normal.

If you are at home for the interview, try to have a dedicated space that is professional looking, preferably in a separate room.  Try to limit visual and audio distractions by informing family or roommates of your interview and setting up a plan to deal with pets or children.  If you anticipate any interruptions, such as children, please inform the interviewer(s) of any potential issues ahead of time; many are understanding.  Additionally, try to simulate the feeling of an in-person interview by dressing appropriately and looking into the camera to replicate eye contact.  Lastly, try try to obtain alternate contact information, such as a phone number, from the interviewer should an emergency of technical issue arise so you can update them as soon as possible of any problems.

For more tips on the interview process and developing interviewing skills, please visit the NJ Department of Labor’s Career Connections page at https://careerconnections.nj.gov/careerconnections/prepare/interview/interviewing_skills_index.shtml.

Genealogy From Home Class Recap

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Thanks to everyone who attended the Genealogy from Home class on January 19th.  I hope the general overview was helpful!  As a reminder, the Genealogy in Quarantine document is full of all sorts of digital resources we didn’t review during class.

When Records Aren’t Digitized or Freely Available

Remember, sometimes records collections are behind a paywall or just not digitized.  In person visits to various repositories and paying for records will still be an important part of your research.  If you’re doing New Jersey research, you’ll be relying heavily on the State Archives’ and County Offices’ websites to order records and search digital collections or indexes.

New Jersey State Library Resources Available from Home

 Location Based Research and Pebble Approach

  • Begin location-based genealogy research using the Family Search Wiki.  Follow up by visiting websites of local public libraries, historical societies, and genealogy groups.
  • Use the pebble approach to cut noise in your search results.  Think of ripples radiating out when a pebble is dropped into water.  The smaller the ripple, the more specific and targeted the search.  Start with the smallest ripple first.  As you exhaust resources, move on to bigger ripples by lessening the search parameters.

 Online Demos

  • Searching for Family Histories in NJSL Catalog
  • Genealogy in Quarantine document
  • Doing a Place Name catalog search on FamilySearch.org
  • Digital Image Collections on Family Search
  • Family Search Wiki

Genealogy Research Stories: Newspapers Save the Day! Class Recap

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Thank you all for attending Genealogy Research Stories: Newspapers Save the Day, and for helping us conclude our celebration of National Family History Month!  I hope you enjoyed the two examples of how newspapers helped to get me around a few difficult brick walls.

How Newspapers can Help

Newspapers can offer clues to people’s whereabouts and community standing through news, social items, announcements, real estate transactions, and community events.  I was able to find the records of Marion Chester and establish what happened to her after she moved to Princeton because of a newspaper article which announced she’d been elected as an officer in a social club.

In addition, newspapers can offer clues about local names and places.  A newspaper article gave me a lead on the Stein Cemetery, adjacent to a duck farm.  I was able to pass this along to the researcher who reached out the cemetery and confirmed that her relative was indeed buried there.  This entire story is incredible, and I hope you check out the blog written about discovering Rose Isaacson’s grave.

Get those Records!

Remember, if you’re researching a person, you want to get records as much as possible.  It’s likely that records (particularly birth, marriage, or death records) have authoritative biographical information which comes from the person themselves or someone close to them.  I know this is frustrating for people researching in New Jersey, as many state level collections are not digitized or available on Ancestry.  But the information you find in these records is often worth the money and wait.

State Library Celebrates National Family History Month

If you missed our offerings for National Family History

Month, I’ve listed them below for you:

Cemetery Panel Discussion (webinar)

We’re Going on an Adventure (blog post)

Abigail Sharp: New Jersey’s One Witch (blog post)

Using Ratables for NJ Genealogy recorded class (and sister blog)

Finally the class recording for Genealogy Research Stories: Newspapers Save the Day is available on YouTube.

 

Spotlight: New Jersey Genealogy Information Videos

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Love Genealogy but don’t have time to sit with us for a live webinar class?  The New Jersey State Library has created a six-part series of short Genealogy Information Videos for you to enjoy when you have time.  The videos cover a range of genealogy resources and highlight various remotely accessible parts of the State Library’s Genealogy Collection.

Here are the videos in the series:

State Library vs. State Archives:  The New Jersey State Archives and New Jersey State Library are two separate organizations with different collections.  Join Regina Fitzpatrick, Genealogy Librarian at the State Library for a brief overview of what each organization has to offer researchers and resources available from home.

FamilySearch.org Tutorial:  Join Regina Fitzpatrick, New Jersey State Library Genealogy Librarian for a demonstration of how to use FamilySearch.org, a free website with thousands of digitized records.  Learn how to navigate the site and search strategies to get better results faster!

Ancestry Library Edition Demo:  Ancestry is often the first resource family history researchers think to use when doing genealogy.  Currently, Ancestry Library Edition is available to researchers to use from home with their local public library card through June 2021.  Join Regina Fitzpatrick, New Jersey State Library Genealogy Librarian for a demonstration of how to use Ancestry Library edition and best research strategies for this resource.

How to Build a Book List from the State Library’s Catalog:  Although the State Library building is currently closed, patrons have access to the State Library’s catalog 24/7 from home.  Learn how to use the library catalog to do a subject keyword search on a family surname to create a curated book list of items from the Genealogy Collection.  If the books were published before 1925, it’s possible that they are digitized online!

City Directories:  Learn more about City Directories and how to use them in your genealogy or historical research.  Learn where to access certain editions of the directories online and how to use the State Library’s City Directory Catalog.

Extracts from American Newspapers Relating to New Jersey: This published series of transcribed newspaper articles about New Jersey from around the 13 colonies is invaluable to family history researchers looking for relatives from the 1700’s.  Join Genealogy Librarian Regina Fitzpatrick for an overview of this resource and learn where to find the volumes digitized online!

You can watch the videos on the State Library’s YouTube Channel or on the Genealogy Research Guide.  Please feel free to reach out to Genealogy Librarian Regina Fitzpatrick with any questions!

Research Spotlight: NJ Genealogy Information Videos

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Love Genealogy but don’t have time to sit with us for a live webinar class?  The New Jersey State Library has created a six-part series of short Genealogy Information Videos for you to enjoy when you have time.  The videos cover a range of genealogy resources and highlight various remotely accessible parts of the State Library’s Genealogy Collection.

Here are the videos in the series:

State Library vs. State Archives:  The New Jersey State Archives and New Jersey State Library are two separate organizations with different collections.  Join Regina Fitzpatrick, Genealogy Librarian at the State Library for a brief overview of what each organization has to offer researchers and resources available from home.

FamilySearch.org Tutorial:  Join Regina Fitzpatrick, New Jersey State Library Genealogy Librarian for a demonstration of how to use FamilySearch.org, a free website with thousands of digitized records.  Learn how to navigate the site and search strategies to get better results faster!

Ancestry Library Edition Demo:  Ancestry is often the first resource family history researchers think to use when doing genealogy.  Currently, Ancestry Library Edition is available to researchers to use from home with their local public library card through June 2021.  Join Regina Fitzpatrick, New Jersey State Library Genealogy Librarian for a demonstration of how to use Ancestry Library edition and best research strategies for this resource.

How to Build a Book List from the State Library’s Catalog:  Although the State Library building is currently closed, patrons have access to the State Library’s catalog 24/7 from home.  Learn how to use the library catalog to do a subject keyword search on a family surname to create a curated book list of items from the Genealogy Collection.  If the books were published before 1925, it’s possible that they are digitized online!

City Directories:  Learn more about City Directories and how to use them in your genealogy or historical research.  Learn where to access certain editions of the directories online and how to use the State Library’s City Directory Catalog.

Extracts from American Newspapers Relating to New Jersey: This published series of transcribed newspaper articles about New Jersey from around the 13 colonies is invaluable to family history researchers looking for relatives from the 1700’s.  Join Genealogy Librarian Regina Fitzpatrick for an overview of this resource and learn where to find the volumes digitized online!

You can watch the videos on the State Library’s YouTube Channel or on the Genealogy Research Guide.  Please feel free to reach out to Genealogy Librarian Regina Fitzpatrick with any questions!