Genealogy Research at Central Library: Where Do I Start?

Get the most out of your visit to Central Library with this brief orientation to the genealogy collection. Includes a department tour, catalog and database searching tips, and assistance from a librarian to help plan your research strategy (30 minutes total).

No reservations needed for individuals or groups of less than 6. For larger groups, please call (213) 228-7400 to schedule an appointment.

Upcoming Dates: May 21, June 18, July 16, August 20

Meet at the reference desk in the History & Genealogy Department at 11 AM

Directions to Central Library and parking info available at this page.  Click on the red marker on the map to view branch information, driving directions and public transportation information.
Thank you,

Mary McCoy
Librarian – History & Genealogy Department
Los Angeles Public Library
630 W. 5th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071
mmccoy@lapl.org
http://www.lapl.org/central/

Tuesday, May 3 at 10:00PM on KCET television

In 1941, the Nazis asserted their power by overrunning tiny villages throughout Eastern Europe. In the middle of the horror and chaos stood 15-year-old Fanya Gottesfeld (Heller). Only through the kindness of a Polish peasant did Fanya survive – hidden beneath a chicken coop with her parents and brother for two-and-a-half years.

Based on her acclaimed memoir, Love In A World of Sorrow, TEENAGE WITNESS: THE FANYA GOTTESFELD HELLER STORY presents a raw and emotional look at survival and the tenacity of the human spirit. Richard Gere narrates. Fanya’s story differs from other Holocaust narratives because of her relationship with a Ukrainian soldier – a Nazi collaborator who helped save her family from certain death. However, this relationship left Fanya with questions she continues to struggle with today.

Since the book’s publication in 1993, the Holocaust survivor has dedicated her life to spreading a message of hope to audiences young and old. Today, Fanya shares the details of her ordeal with inner-city teens in the hopes of making them understand, and even relate to, the difficult choices she made. The atrocities of the Holocaust occurred more than 60 years ago, but its lessons of courage and tolerance and the dangers of prejudice and baseless hatred remain relevant today. At the age of 83, Fanya contemplates a return to her hometown of Skala, in present-day Ukraine, accompanied by Father Patrick Desbois, the French-Catholic priest responsible for identifying more than 600 previously unknown graves of Jews. The film follows Fanya as she wrestles with the past and focuses on the importance of her work today.

Thanks to Thalia Faye for this notification!

The Pale of Jewish Settlement

Thanks to Hal Bookbinder for a terrific program Sunday entitled “Why Did Our Ancestors Leave a Nice Place Like the Pale?”

Hal has provided an excellent handout which you may view and download here containing maps, charts and images from his presentation including:

• Map of the Pale
• Timeline of the Pale
• Geography of the Pale of Jewish Settlement
• Geography of Poland

His Timeline of the Pale in particular explains the various stages of development of the Pale’s history and how they impacted future waves of emigration to the West.

The other materials provide a clear explication of the genealogical issues raised by the region’s constantly changing borders and the influence of various mandates by the emporers and monarchs in authority during different periods.

Kudos to Pamela Weisberger on a VERY successful JGSLA sponsored “Member Assisted Day at the Family History Library” on Sunday.  There were more than 100 of our members and the place was abuzz with chatter, laughter, and serious research.  Here are some details you may want to know to prepare for your next visit there.

1. The hours of operation will be:
   Monday, Friday, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
   Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
2. The microfiche cabinets are in the Microfilm room.
3. The refrigerator in the lunch room is available for you to keep your food cold.
4. There are printers connected to all the computers in the main research room.
   Bring small change along to pay for your copies. (10 cents per page)
5. You can bring your own computer to use alongside the library’s computers.  There is WiFi available.
6. It is not yet possible to print copies from the microfilm readers.
   If you have a digital camera, bring it along to make copies of documents you have found.
7. Our JGSLA book collection has not yet been put up on the shelves.
   We are waiting for the contractors to bolt the shelves to the wall.
   We will let you know when it has been put up.
   The index for the permanent library collection is located at: http://www.jgsla.org/library.htm
   Please note: the library is NOT a lending library–all resources MUST remain in the facility. (more…)

What a great meeting last night! Kudos to Pamela Weisberger for a program that took a long time to come to fruition, and ran so smoothly! Really great job, Pam!

Welcome to our many new members who joined last night…we are glad to have you with us! And thank you so much to all of you who pitched in and helped with the mechanics of the meeting…It is so great to have such reliable, willing members! Finally…thanks to all who attended…it was so nice to see all those happy faces!