Genealogy and Local History Programs

The Wayne County Public Library strives to offer genealogy and local history programs for our researchers free of charge. Additional programs are offered through the Wayne County Genealogical Society. The library is separate from the local historical societies and genealogical society; however, at times our programs may overlap.

November 2017

• Civil War Tokens of Wayne County, Ohio: Thursday, November 9 from 7-8 p.m., Conference Room West
  • Ray Leisy has collected tokens for many years. Several were given to him from his father and he has continued the collection. Leisy will present a program about the Civil War Tokens of Wayne County, Ohio.

• Family History Writing Group: Monday, November 13 from 7:00-8:00 p.m., Conference Room West
  • In September, we started a writing curriculum. This is the third month. We will discuss using historical documents to write a narrative.

April 2018

• Spring Genealogy Lock-in: Saturday, April 7 from 6-10 p.m., 2nd floor of the library in Wooster
  • Enjoy a time set aside for genealogy and local history research. Members of the Wayne County Genealogical Society will be available for "one-on-one" sessions.

May 2018

• Early Merchants of Wayne County, Ohio: Thursday, May 10 from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
  • Pam Blaha, president of the Wayne County Genealogical Society, will present a program merchants of Wayne County, Ohio. Her focus will be on merchants prior to the Civil War. This is a joint program with the Wayne County Genealogical Society.

• How Do You Know What You Know? Moving Beyond Your Genealogy Database: Saturday, May 19 from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
  • Regionally known guest speaker, Chris Staats, has spoken at several state and national genealogy conferences. From his website, "Genealogical databases are a great tool to store and maintain our family tree. However, they don’t accurately reflect the most important thing we do as researchers—think, analyze, and explain. Databases are simply a list of sources and conclusions. Learn to document the reasoning that connects those sources and conclusions." For more information about Chris Staats, visit his website, Staats Genealogical Services.

July 2018

• Which DNA Test is for me?: Saturday, July 21, 2018 from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Conference Room
  • Kelli Bergheimer will present a DNA program geared for beginners and those who have taken a DNA test and are ready for the next step. From her description of the program: "Learn how DNA testing can help you find out your ethnicity and break down brick walls in your research. Learn how to determine genetic relationships. Determine which type of test you should take. If you have results, learn how to make sense of your matches and get the most out of Ancestry DNA, Family Tree DNA, and 23 & Me."

August 2018

• Summer Genealogy Lock-in: Saturday, August 18 from 6-10 p.m., 2nd floor of the library in Wooster
  • Enjoy a time set aside for genealogy and local history research. Members of the Wayne County Genealogical Society will be available for "one-on-one" sessions.