“Who Do You Think You Are?” Find Out and Discover Your Roots at NSU’s Third Annual FREE Genealogy Fair: April 10

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Next time someone asks you “Who do you think you are?” make sure you have a great answer by beginning your ancestral quest to uncover your roots.

To aid budding and expert genealogical adventurers alike, Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center will host its Third Annual Genealogy Fair on Saturday, April 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on NSU’s main campus, 3301 College Ave. in Davie.

The fair is FREE and open to the public, and will include genealogy research database demonstrations, breakout sessions, and a variety of genealogy-related exhibitors offering individual consultations throughout the day.

Don’t miss nationally recognized experts, including:

• Megan Smolenyak: Researcher for President & Michelle Obama’s roots; Chief Family Historian for Ancestry.com; author of the NBC TV series companion book Who Do You Think You Are? The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History; cold case researcher for the FBI & U.S. Army; discoverer of the “real” Annie Moore, the first immigrant who was processed through Ellis Island; expert on genetealogy – DNA and genealogy; and founder and president of Roots Television.
• J. H. Fonkert: Certified Genealogist in Dutch & English ancestry; President of the Minnesota Genealogical Society; columnist for The Septs; Director of the Association of Professional Genealogists, Midwest Region; and recipient of the American Society of Genealogists Scholar Award in 2009.   

Resources available for both genealogical beginners and experts include:

• A FREE genealogy workbook and materials to help begin and continue your family’s history.
• FREE access to and lessons on using genealogical databases such as Ancestry Library, Heritage Quest and Family Search, as well as Family Tree Maker software.
• Opportunities to explore the Genealogy Room and browse the library’s specialized books, journals and how-to manuals.

 Participants can connect with other lineage-seekers by:

• Visiting with local genealogy experts that can assist with all facets of research, including Revolutionary War lineages; African, Spanish and Jewish roots; research methods and even locating tombstones.
• Meeting groups such as the Cuban Genealogy Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, FamilySearch.org (Plantation LDS), Genealogical Society of Broward County, Mayflower Society, Jewish Genealogical Society of Broward County and the Guild of One-Name Studies.

Participants who would like to help supplement the library’s collection can also donate book materials during the fair. Items such as old yearbooks, old city directories and other local history items can help the collection grow and benefit the whole community.

Thanks to a more than 4,000 item collection donated two years ago by the Genealogical Society of Broward County, the Alvin Sherman Library also has printed materials, periodical literature and personally created pedigrees that will benefit library patrons of both entry-level and advanced genealogy skills.

The genealogy collection augments the digitized holdings found in the Alvin Sherman Library’s two primary genealogy databases – Ancestry Library and Heritage Quest Online. These library-edition databases provide Alvin Sherman Library patrons with more extensive research capabilities, as well as access to FREE resources not otherwise available to the general public online.

For more details about the fair, or to register online, please visit www.nova.edu/library/genealogyfair or call (954) 262-4575.

Media Contact:
Andra Liwag, NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5309 (office), 954-873-8494 (cell), andrali@nova.edu