Family History For Families

FAMILY HISTORY FOR FAMILIES

Christine MillerEast Dunbartonshire Council3rd June 2009

How it all Started

• Community projects with family history

• Working with Community Learning & Development – Learning & Skills Team

• Involvement with Family Learning

FIRST SESSION

• November 2007• Kirkintilloch High School• Delivered as part of a P7 transitional programme• One hour taster session• Group included 7 mothers with children

COURSE DEVELOPMENT

• Three week course for libraries• Length of course was important• Content had to be structured to interest adults and children• Experience gained developing different types of family history courses was useful

PART 1

• What is Family History?• People are interested in the past and where they came from• Computers have made it much easier• Look at examples of certificates

PART 1

• “Who Am I?” questionnaire• Looking at a basic family tree• Fill in blank forms• Surnames – how to find out about names• Naming patterns

PART 1

PART 1

• “What did your ancestor do for a living?”

PART 1

• How to store your information• Computer software

• And finally……….your homework for next week!

PART 2

• “Show and Tell”

- what have you found?• Finding Information

- Certificates

- Census

- Old Parish Registers

PART 2

• ScotlandsPeople – key resource• Using the website• www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk• Training vouchers

Completed

• First course in January 2008• Five mothers and daughters from Kirkintilloch & Twechar area• Some had attended the original taster session• Good Feedback

Completed

• Second session March 2008• Held in Kirkintilloch library• Four mothers and sons• Also included three women from local Women’s Aid project• Third session November 2008• Three mothers and daughters and four adults • Held in Lennoxtown Initiative

What Do Parents and Children Gain From This…….• Develop skills, new interests and parents can spend time with children on

a shared activity

What Do We Gain From This?.........

• New users – many parents who attend are not regular library users

• Develop an interest in local history

• New ScotlandsPeople users who buy library vouchers

• Forges the link between Family and Local History

FEEDBACK

• “Exciting”• “Had good fun”• “Absolutely loved this course – gave me a new hobby that I am looking forward to working on”• “Too short”• “This course is brilliant and far too short I really enjoyed it…”

What next?

• Family History Programme for 2009/10

What next?

• Advertising• Age of children important• More challenging groups…….