We are pleased to announce the schedule for the Spring 2013 Local History & Genealogy Workshop Series held in conjunction with Parkland College!
Take a look and see if something piques your interest, and then register using the Parkland College Registration Form or by calling Parkland College at 217/353-2055.
We'll see you this Spring!
Intermediate Genealogy
Thursdays, March 28-May 2
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Course Number: WLI 418-001
Fee: $65 • Registration Deadline: March 21
Location: Lewis Auditorium at The Urbana Free Library
You have started finding documents about your family. Now what?Nicole Miller will show you strategies for analyzing and interpreting information. Topics include: transcribing, abstracting and summarizing documents; evaluating conflicting sources; land records and agrarian research; incorporating historical research into family history; evaluating information with timelines and extraction forms; and more.
Oral History Interviews for Genealogists
Saturday, March 16
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Course Number: WLI 820-001
Fee: $30 • Registration Deadline: March 8
Location: Lewis Auditorium at The Urbana Free Library
Virtually every manual on genealogy tells researchers to start by talking to living relatives. Noah Lenstra will show you that oral interviews can be used for a wide variety of purposes throughout family history research, and changing technologies make new things possible. Topics include jump-starting your genealogical research; producing audio-visual family heirlooms; strategies for scheduling, conducting, and transcribing interviews; how to use free digital devices to record digital oral interviews with relatives around the world; and oral interviews, archives, and preservation.
Courthouse Research for Genealogy
Saturday, May 4
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Course Number: WLI 825-001
Fee: $20 • Registration Deadline: April 26
Location: Lewis Auditorium at The Urbana Free Library
Join Robert Johnson in exploring all aspects of conducting research in courthouse records, including a discussion of “hard to find” sources, and often overlooked resources. Various research paths and tips will be discussed. Both online and on-site methods will be considered.
Cemetery Care and Restoration
Saturday, May 11
9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Course Number: WLI 326-001
Fee: $55 • Registration Deadline: May 3
Location: Lewis Auditorium at The Urbana Free Library
Saturday, June 8
9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Course Number: WLI 326-002
Fee: $55 • Registration Deadline: May 31
Location: Lewis Auditorium at The Urbana Free Library
Save pieces of history: Learn how to preserve a cemetery and do basic grave stone repair. Develop a preservation plan, learn how to probe and what cleaning methods and materials to use, and do simple grave marker resetting. Gain knowledge about related resources, laws, and support groups. John Heider will explain cemetery care, marker preservation, and restoration. We’ll meet at The Urbana Free Library in the morning then proceed to a nearby cemetery for hands-on work in the afternoon.
Gravestone Repair
Saturday, May 18
9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Course Number: WLI 341-001
Fee: $55 • Registration Deadline: May 10
Location: Lewis Auditorium at The Urbana Free Library
Saturday, June 15
9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Course Number: WLI 341-002
Fee: $55 • Registration Deadline: June 7
Location: Lewis Auditorium at The Urbana Free Library
Gain valuable hands-on experience in repairing and resetting gravestones. Activities will include recognizing grave location clues, marker discovery, removal, handling, and cleaning. Learn to repair simple breaks and fill cracks by using appropriate adhesives and mortar mixes. John Heider will teach some of the latest methods for preserving grave markers, an invaluable resource for those interested in best practices for cemetery preservation. Prerequisite: Cemetery Care and Basic Restoration or by instructor’s approval.
