Zoom into Family History

Zoom into Family History came into being as we went into a third national lockdown in January 2021. How could we keep our communities connected and alleviate the isolation that so many were feeling? We designed a series of family history sessions, aimed at beginners and delivered via zoom so people could meet, chat and be involved in a community activity whilst at home.

The sessions were developed in partnership with Leicestershire Libraries’ librarian team, who’s expert knowledge was invaluable. They also made the most of the free resources available through Leicestershire Libraries, such as the Ancestry website.

Family history is always a popular topic and we were delighted when the first sessions quickly booked up and we had to add a second session! Over the 4 sessions participants shared their stories, their discoveries and tips, whilst being guided through the basics of family history and learning how to use ancestry library edition to search the census, birth, marriage and death records, as well as a bit about other resources available, not least The Record Office of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.