The Statesboro Bulloch County Regional Library will be hosting their first genealogy fair, Friday, April 14th from 1-5pm. The event will bring in representatives from genealogy libraries, historical societies, and museums from all over Georgia. There will be ‘take-over’ of the library with booths throughout as well as food trucks outside including Rise and Roam Coffee. A program directory will be given to each attendant with information including descriptions and contact information from all the statewide resources. There will be prizes and raffles as well for those in attendance.
Lillian Wingate, Regional Genealogist & Local History Coordinator of the Statesboro Regional Library, teaches classes and assists with research and outreach throughout the Statesboro Regional Library system. She is very excited about this event and hopes if successful they can incorporate South Carolina into the event next year.
Smaller, local genealogical societies, to well established genealogical societies will be in attendance.
Wingate says, “This is the first time something like this has happened in Georgia in a very long time that isn't just library based--a big distinction is that it includes a lot of other organizations.”
She says for a lot of people, this will be the first genealogy fair since Covid. The fair will bring 25 to 30 organizations from all over the state of Georgia. There will be booths set up all over the library, each having either a representative to answer questions, or set up with information for that particular area. From Bulloch to Burke, Chatham to Lowndes and beyond, wherever your ancestors hail from in Georgia, there will be information to lead you in the right direction.
Wingate advised, "If a person is coming to search for information on a person, please have names, dates, and places for that individual available.”
There will be short presentations by: Dylan Mulligan on the Georgia Salzburger Society and the Loest Library, the Burke County Archives, the Huxford Genealogical Society and Library, and the Digital Library of Georgia. Tamika Strong will talk about the Georgia Archives, Autumn Johnson will speak on the Special Collections at Georgia Southern University, Harmina Glass-Hill will talk about the Susie King Taylor Institute, and Dr. Alvin Jackson will talk on Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center.
There will also be talks from GALILEO, Middle Georgia Archives Library, Athens-Clarke County Library, the Archibald Bulloch DAR, and the Evans County Historical Society. Several genealogists will be in attendance including: Steve Burke, Maggie Horne Thomas, Bill Scott, Erika Bragg, Meme Greitzer, Angela Collier, Stancie Wingate Frazier, Frances Dielmann, Pete Dillon, Larry Thomas, Laura Carter, Janice Clement, and Allen Jones.
Participating organizations include but are not limited to:
Archibald Bulloch Chapter DAR, Athens Regional Library Heritage Room, Augusta-Richmond County Heritage Room, Bulloch County Genealogical Society, Burke County Archives, Clarke-Oconee Genealogical Society, Coastal Georgia Genealogical Society, Coastal Heritage Society, Cobb County Genealogical Society, Cobb County Public Library, Coweta County Genealogical Society, Digital Library of Georgia, Evans County Historical Society, Fort Stewart Cemetery Tours, Galileo, Genealogical & Historical Room at Middle Georgia Archives, Georgia Archives, Georgia Genealogical Society, Georgia Public Library System, Georgia Salzburger Living History Museum, GSU Special Collections, GSU Museum, Huxford-Spears Library, Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research, Kennesaw State Archives, Laurens County Heritage Center, Live Oak Public Library of Savannah, Loest Research Library, Mill Creek SAR, Mitchell County Genealogical Society, Savannah Area Genealogical Association, Susie King, Taylor Women’s Institute & Ecology Center, Tattnall County Archives, Thomasville History Center, Willow Hill Heritage & Renaissance Center.
For more information, visit the library website at strl.info/genealogy-fair .