GENEALOGY HELP DESK STARTS AT STANTON LIBRARY

 

The family history research service of Stanton Library has well and truly started for 2014. Every Friday morning from 10am to 12pm in the North Sydney Heritage Centre we have 8 volunteer genealogy helpers who are ready to assist members of the public with their family history enquiries. The North Sydney Heritage Centre is located on the first floor of Stanton Library at 234 Miller Street North Sydney. We can give one on one help or just be there to assist people who would like to come in do it themselves and get occasional advice. Everyone is welcome.

The library is easily accessible by public transport. It's a 20 minute walk from North Sydney Station and right next to a major bus stop. There is only paid parking near the library on weekdays but often free parking can be found on Bent Street and around Forsyth Park in Neutral Bay which is about a 20 minute walk away from us.

The best thing about our service is that it’s free. We have free access to Ancestry.com library edition for people who come into the library as well as free access to many other genealogy websites available on the internet. We can assist people who have no computer or internet skills or who are just beginning their genealogical journey all in a relaxed social atmosphere.  People can come in and use the library’s computers or bring in their own and use the library’s free wifi.

Although our expertise is predominantly on the records of English speaking countries we do have expertise in a range of European countries and languages in keeping with the multicultural backgrounds of many Australians. Most people who start their research find that looking for an ancestor in the records of a non-English speaking country is not as hard as they think. If none of us speak the language we can certainly guide people through this process using a few basic tools and principles.
 

For anyone planning to come to our  Genealogy Help Desk we ask that they ring the information desk of Stanton Library on 99368400 to tell us that they are coming. People can also email the information desk on infodesk@northsydney.nsw.gov.au for that purpose. It is quite okay for people to drop in but if they ring before they come it really helps us plan the day for everyone and ensures that the person coming in will have access to a computer and a volunteer to help them.

Please come and use our service. It is available for anyone who would like to use it.

“To forget one’s ancestors is to be a brook without a source a tree without a root” chinese proverb