The Seattle Public Library's services extend beyond just books. Librarians can help people trace their family lineage for free.
This year, the library is celebrating its genealogy collection’s centennial. The collection began with a donation of 129 books from the Seattle Genealogical Society and has grown to include newspapers, microfilms and more than 40,000 bound volumes, such as immigration ledgers and books that can help people answer questions about their cultures.
These services are free for anyone to use.
Mahina Oshie, an adult services librarian with a specialty in genealogy, said she and other librarians answer questions from all over the state. They have also received messages from outside the country.
“A big one that we get kind of frequently is Scandinavians who are trying to find information about their ancestors who came to Seattle at some point in history and what's happened to them,” she said. The library has access to the city directory and can help with research. “We're here for everybody. If you've got family, we can help you.”
Another trend librarians like Oshie have seen is an increase in Americans looking for ties to Canada, which recently loosened its citizenship by descent requirements. Prior to the change, only people whose parents were born there qualified for citizenship.
The change has “blown open a huge window” and made more Americans curious to see if they have Canadian ties, Oshie said.
"Especially here in Washington, we have a lot of folks who are interested in seeing if that is a possibility for them," she said.
People become curious about their family history for many reasons, said John LaMont, another adult services librarian with a specialty in genealogy. That includes trying to validate a family story or a recent retiree who finds themselves with more free time.
“At some point you just say, 'Where did I come from?'" LaMont said.
To get a better look at the process, LaMont helped research my family history. We started by filling out when and where my parents were born, when and where they were married and if they had any relatives. I filled all that in with a pencil, which is important because as we searched a genealogy website, we had to update verified information.
Eventually, LaMont began finding records such as census data, birth certificates and military enlistment documents. This turned up a new detail: the name of one of my relatives who died at a young age, Jose F. Monares.
LaMont and Oshie said genealogy is like solving a puzzle. They do this using the library’s 100-year-old collection to pull together narratives and, in some cases, solve mysteries.
To celebrate the collection’s centennial, the library is hosting a conversation with genealogy expert CeCe Moore on Oct. 3. Moore is host of the PBS series "Finding Your Roots" and has helped solve cold cases.
Those curious about their family’s history can make an appointment with a librarian.
