There is a popular book, first published in 1973, called “Where Did I Come From?” For generations now, it has helped parents answer questions about the birds and the bees from their children. At about the same time that book was published, the Johnson County Genealogical Society was formed to answer the same question on a much different scale.
“People like to know their histories, know the stories of where they came from,” said Marsha Bennett, vice president for education and outreach for the society. “We help people find the resources to answer their questions.”
The Society occupies a large space in the Central Resource Library and has volunteer genealogists on site seven days a week to help people in search of their family roots, whether they are in Johnson County or anywhere in the world.
At first, the work can seem overwhelming. So many questions. So many generations. So many resources, some in books, some on microfilm, some in government archives stored who knows where. Many people don’t know where to start.
“We are here to help,” said Heather Jenkins, president of the Genealogical Society. “There is a simple place to start: with yourself. Start with your heirlooms, old photos, family Bibles. Start with yourself and work backwards … and occasionally sideways.
“We all go down rabbit holes,” she added with a smile, acknowledging that within those rabbit holes can be wonderful adventures.
JCGS volunteers are available to help every day of the week. They can point you toward resources – either physical or digital – that can aid in your quest. For those looking for a little additional help with either basic genealogical research or DNA and Genetic Genealogy, there are opportunities for one-on-one sessions with volunteers that can be arranged in advance. They can be in-person or over Zoom.
“There are a lot of resources, a lot of places people can go,” Jenkins said.
In all, Jenkins said, there are 7,000 non-circulating items in the Genealogical collection. With the Internet, patrons can also find access to much, much more. Services like Ancestry.com can be used free of charge within the Library. Other internet resources are either free or can be purchased to be used online at home.
Included among the resources at the Central Library Genealogical corner is an old card catalog filled with decades of obituaries clipped from local newspapers. Microfilm of the Kansas City Star and smaller local papers – like The Sun or Johnson’s County Gazette – are on hand and date back generations. There are computers and printers. In a space known as the Memory Lab, scanners are available for people wanting help converting photos, slides and videos to digital formats for safer keeping and sharing. Forms and templates are available to help keep your information organized and to help you get started on the family tree.
Genealogists just getting started can find help knowing where to search, what information to collect from your home or the home of relatives, and the basics as how to navigate genealogical Websites or commonly used abbreviations.
“We call it catching the bug,” Jenkins said when patrons dive into research full force. “It’s the thrill of the hunt. People like to know their history. Maybe they’ve heard stories and now they can know.
“It’s exciting when they have that ’Eureka!’ moment.”
The society offers special-interest groups – people who want to create digital albums for instance, or those interested in Irish genealogy – to help connect like-interested people together for support and fellowship. There are also monthly programs on history topics on Saturdays at the Central Resource Library. This year’s topics include: – Bleeding Kansas, the National Frontier Trails Museum and Finding Your Military Ancestors.
“It’s a somewhat unique operation that we have a library within a library,” said Bennett, a former communications manager for the Library, explaining the partnering with the Library that makes genealogical resources more greatly accessible to people.
It’s appropriate that the County Librarian was at the founding meeting of the Genealogical Society, the spark of a 50-plus year partnership between the two organizations. Before moving operations to the Central branch on 87th Street, the Kansas Room at the now-closed Antioch branch was the home of the Society and its resources.
The original mission of the Genealogical Society stated that one of its goals is to “encourage the study of family history.” Put another way, the Society and the Library are here to help people answer the question: “Where did I come from?”
For more information about the Society, visit the Central Resource Library at 9875 W. 87th Street or online.