With the popularity of television shows like “Who Do You Think You Are,” the ease of sharing information over the internet and the reconnecting of distant relatives using social media, it’s no wonder more Americans than ever before are interested in discovering their roots.
On our website, you’ll find a number of useful tools to help you get started climbing your family tree. Ancestry.com, one of the biggest names in do-it-yourself genealogy, is temporarily available to use offsite with your library card. HeritageQuest gives you access to U.S. census data and over 1 million genealogy and local history articles. On our Local History webpage you’ll find even more resources, including our Spotlight newspaper archive and the New York Heritage digital collections. Find all of these resources linked from our “Research” page on our website (www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org).
Have you hit a genealogical “brick wall” in your own search that you need to break through? E-mail us at [email protected] with your genealogy research questions so we can point you in the right direction.
We are also scheduling one-on-one genealogy appointments over Zoom to help with your questions and introduce you to the family history resources available on the library’s website. To make an appointment, fill out the online form at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org/local-history/genealogy. Appointments last approximately one hour.
Surprise yourself
Subscription boxes are big these days – makeup, meals, art supplies – you name it. There’s a sense of mystery and surprise when you unbox the contents. Will there be something there that you wouldn’t normally pick out for yourself but end up loving?
Our Book Bundles are like that, but for readers. Oh, and there’s no fee. The only plastic you’ll need is your library card.
Not sure what to read next and need a little inspiration? Want to find some new books for your kids without having to scan the shelves for something that jumps out at you? Sign up to receive a Book Bundle — selections hand-picked for you by one of our librarians based on the reading preferences you share through the form at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org/book-bundle-request.
We use that information to narrow down 10 curated picks in your favorites genres and formats – maybe with a surprise or two thrown in!
Book Bundles are available for adults, teens, grade-schoolers and “read-to-me” children up to age 6.
— Kristen Roberts
