National Archives Hosts 7th Genealogy Fair, April 20-21
Media Alert · Thursday, March 24, 2011

Washington, DC

Free two-day genealogy fair: Become Your Family’s Detective

WHAT:  The National Archives will host its seventh annual Genealogy Fair:  Become Your Family’s Detective on April 20 and 21, 2011, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This year’s two-day program will showcase the diversity of Federal records located at the National Archives as resources for family history research. Speakers include National Archives staff, historians, and genealogy professionals. This popular fair – which attracted over 2,500 people last year – will provide information and guidance for experienced genealogy professionals and novices alike. The fair is free and open to the public, and presented in partnership with the Foundation for the National Archives and with support from Ancestry.com.

Sessions include workshops on records relating to African-American history, the Civil War, naturalization, courts, the military, immigration, land, and the upcoming opening of the 1940 Census. A schedule of lectures and demonstrations is available online [http://www.archives.gov/calendar/genealogy-fair/]. Exhibitors include National Archives staff and guest organizations demonstrating how to use Federal records and other resources for genealogical research.

WHEN:  Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, April 20, 9 a.m., Pennsylvania Avenue entrance. Archivist of the United States, David S. Ferriero, will cut the ribbon to open the fair.

Genealogy Fair: Wednesday and Thursday, April 20-21, 2011, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

WHERE:  National Archives Research Center Lobby and Pennsylvania Avenue Plaza.
National Archives Building, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC.
Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Fair attendees will be given buttons at the Welcome Tent allowing entrance to the building. Otherwise, a Government-issued photo ID or student ID is required to enter the building. All attendees exiting the building must pass through security screening.

The closest Metro stop is the Archives/Navy Memorial stop on the Yellow and Green lines. The National Archives is fully accessible. To request an accommodation (e.g., sign language interpreter) please e-mail KYR@nara.gov or call 202 357-5333 at least two weeks prior to the event.

WHO:  Speakers include professional genealogists Claire Bettag, Jennifer Dondero, and Zack Wilske from USCIS; Harvard University Professor Daniel Carpenter; Quinton Atkinson from Ancestry.com; Gordon Atkinson from Footnote.com; and National Archives experts Elizabeth Carrington, Patrick Connelly,Rebecca Crawford, Damani Davis, John Deeben, Jake Ersland, Jeffery Hartley, Claire P. Kluskens,Bill Seibert,Katherine Vollen, Rebecca Warlow, and Reginald Washington.

National Archives exhibitors include staff demonstrating how to use databases including the Archival Research Catalog (ARC) and Access to Archival Databases (AAD). Staff at the “Help! I’m Stuck” table will be available to assist researchers. Guest exhibitors include the US Census Bureau, Library of Congress, Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, Footnote.com, and local genealogical societies.

Background

The National Archives holds the permanently valuable records of the Federal government. These include records of interest to genealogists, such as pension files, ship passenger lists, census and Freedmen’s Bureau materials. For information on National Archives holdings see www.archives.gov.

For more information, e-mail KYR@nara.gov.

Follow the National Archives on Twitter:  @ArchivesNews and @USNatArchives
Join the Genealogy Fair conversation on Twitter using #genfair

Sign in to the Genealogy Fair on the National Archives Foursquare site!

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For press information contact the National Archives Public Affairs Staff at 202-357-5300 or 714-983-9120.

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