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It’s back-to-school time at the California Genealogical Society!

Join us for a free introductory class on Saturday, September 7, 2013, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., at our library at 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, California, in the historic Breuner Building.

The class – Genealogy: An Introduction – is part of our monthly First Saturdays Free open house when we welcome non-members and the general public. We open the library and share our resources with anyone interested in learning more about their family history. The library is a benefit of membership and is available to non-members for a $5.00 day fee during the rest of the month.

The September class, taught by Lavinia Schwarz, will focus on basic research methods and terminology. Learn about common (and uncommon) family history records and the resources available, both online and in libraries, repositories, and archives. The two-hour session also includes a tour of the library and an overview of our extensive holdings.

And don’t think you have to be a beginner to benefit from the class! Our instructors do a great job of tailoring each session to the experience and needs of the participants so everyone comes away with new knowledge.

A genealogist since 1999, Lavinia Gilbert Schwarz is a former member of the California Genealogical Society board of directors. She currently serves on the society’s research committee. She graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a degree in English Literature, then earned a masters at Tufts in education. Schwarz completed the National Institute on Genealogical Research (N.I.G.R.) program in 2008 at the National Archives in Washington D.C. and College Park, Maryland. She has traced her ancestors to France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Germany, Cuba and San Domingue (now Haiti).