Presented by the Special Colle ctions &\; Archives Division of the Miami-Dade Public Library System.
\nThis project is funded under the provisio ns of the Library Services and Technology Act from the \;Institute of Museum and Library Services. Florida&r squo\;s LSTA program is administered by the \;Department of State&rsquo\;s Division of Lib rary and Information Services.
\nCome learn more about genealogy and family h istory from five nationally recognized speakers and local experts presenti ng on topics such tracing 19th and 20th century immigrant ancestors and co nducting research in Florida. Interested in all the sessions? \;
\nThe symposium will close with an &ldquo\;Ask a Genealogist&rdquo\; disc ussion panel with our professional genealogist speakers and moderator. Sub mit your questions in advance to specialcollections@mdpls.org with the sub ject line &ldquo\;Ask a Genealogist - Tracing Roots in Florida and Beyond& rdquo\; and the experts might answer your question during the session. Sub missions close at 6:00 p.m. on July 31st\, 2026.
\nBring your photog raphs\, negatives and documents with you! The Miami Dade Public Library Sy stem&rsquo\;s Digital Collections with be digitizing your genealogical mat erials on site! You will also have the option of donating digital copies t o our online Genealogy Collection or our Community Memory Project which ai ms to \;create a digital archive of Miami-Dade County residents&rsquo\ ; collective memory! All items scanned as part of the event are returned t o the owners who will also receive a flash drive with high-resolution digi tal copies to take home with them.
\nLocal genealogy and history org anizations will also be on site to tell you more about what they do:
\nAuditorium
<
/strong>
Lobby
\nBring up to 5 items and the MDPLS Digital Collections will scan them in high resolution.
\nLimited Slots Available.
2nd Fl oor Rotunda
\nFind out more about your local genealogy and
history organizations!
Auditorium
\nImmigrant ancestors can give us qu ite the challenge when trying to find their exact place of origin. The end less &ldquo\;Poland&rdquo\; notations or &ldquo\;Norway&rdquo\; listed as place of birth can drive genealogists\, both beginner and expert alike\, m ad. This presentation delves into a variety of records that are found stat eside that can narrow down that search\, as well as ideas for when the pap er trail continually runs cold. The main suspects will be discussed\, as w ill numerous lesser-known and lesser-used records. Some of the record sets that will be covered include:
\nAbout the Presenter
\nRich Venezia founded Rich
Roots Genealogy\, LLC in 2013. He was a member of the research team of Gen
ealogy Roadshow (PBS) for two seasons and is an expert in the research of
20th-century immigrant ancestors\, especially with underutilized record so
urces and federal records. He works with law firms and individuals on comp
lex U.S. derivative citizenship cases and specializes in Italian and Irish
research. Additionally\, he assists clients with dual citizenship applica
tions and is a proud Italian dual citizen. He lectures nationwide and spok
e at TEDx Pittsburgh 2017. He is also an award-winning records access advo
cate.
2n d Floor Stage
\nWhether you are researching local records i n Florida or reaching back to hometowns of your ancestors\, land records s uch as surveys\, deeds\, and homestead applications can provide much more information than a point on a map. \; This presentation gives insight into what to look for\, what steps were taken for Pioneers to homestead la nd\, and how to find the history of where you live today. Presented by Lor rie Martin.
\nAbout the Presenter
\nLorrie Ch
upina Martin serves as president for the Genealogical Society of Greater M
iami\, and as chair of the National Genealogical Society Delegate Council
for member organizations. After working in finance and operations\, the se
arch for biological family in 2018 led her to the field of genealogy. She
earned the Boston University Certificate in Genealogical Research and beca
me a professional genealogist focusing on forensic research. Lorrie is als
o a member of NGS\, APG\, the APG Forensic SIG\, Florida State Genealogica
l Society\, and others. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration fr
om the University of Miami and Master of Public Administration from Florid
a International University. Lorrie has served on other community boards in
cluding the Junior League of Miami and its Foundation and is currently on
the Pinewood Cemetery Advisory Board for the City of Coral Gables.
A one-hour small-group conversat ion\, recorded to help share local voices as part of a national civic list ening initiative \;Space is limited to 10 participants \;to keep t he conversation intimate and welcoming.
\nThis isn't a debate or a t own hall. It's a chance to slow down\, listen\, and be heard &mdash\; to s hare your story and hear from your neighbors in a setting built for genuin e connection rather than conflict. Your voice will join thousands of other s from communities across the country\, helping paint a picture of what Am ericans are thinking and feeling as we mark this milestone anniversary.&nb sp\; Please note\, the conversation may be securely saved and added to the ACP public conversation\, where it can be searched and listened to by oth ers for learning and storytelling\, in ways that respect your voice and yo ur privacy. Participants can use a pseudonym and can request that any comm ents be redacted at any time.
\nRegister in advance here!
<
br />
Auditorium
\nBehind e very state hospital record is a human story. Learn how to uncover and unde rstand the lives of ancestors who lived in state hospitals and asylums\, a nd how to acknowledge their experiences with honesty\, empathy\, and respe ct.
\nAbout the Presenter
\nKate is a former professional investigator turned genealogist\, specializing in Pennsylvani a genealogical research. She also has experience with records from Ohio\, West Virginia\, and New York City\, as well as expertise in immigration\, naturalization\, and court records. She holds the Certified Genealogist&re g\; credential as of February 2024. Kate owns Family History Investigation s LLC.
\nKate has spoken at national and local genealogical societie s\, libraries\, and conferences\, including the National Genealogical Soci ety Family History Conference\, New England Regional Genealogical Consorti um\, Ohio Genealogical Society Conference\, and RootsTech. She has served on the faculty at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh.
\nAlthough Kate has been working on her own family history since she was
sixteen\, her interest in investigating and researching on a professional
level was piqued when she served as an Archives Technician at the National
Archives and Records Administration (NARA) while completing her undergrad
uate studies. She worked as a resource for both amateur and professional g
enealogical researchers\, assisting them in conducting archival records re
search. Additionally\, she gained experience with primary source documents
in her first position with NARA\, where she worked in the holdings mainte
nance department\, preserving and cataloging records dating back to the 18
00s.
2nd Floor Stage
\nUsing folk music\, historical photographs\, and the stories of real p eople\, this presentation highlights overlooked repositories and unexpecte d record collections that bring to life the people\, places\, and events t hat shaped generations of Floridians. Presented by Tamara Hallo.
\n< strong>About the Presenter
\nTamara Hallo\, MLS\, Miami nat
ive and owner of Hallo Genealogy Services\, LLC is an educator\, librarian
\, and professional genealogist. Genealogy is her passion and a perfect co
mplement to her repertoire. She has over 30 years of experience as an educ
ator\, holds a Master in Library Science degree\, and a certificate of gen
ealogical research from Boston University. In addition to client work\, sh
e presents on genealogical topics to both in-person and virtual audiences
and teaches genealogy classes throughout South Florida. Tamara is a past p
resident and currently serves as the Marketing and Communications Chair of
the Genealogical Society of Greater Miami.
Bring your lunch and chat with other genealogists in
terested in the same topics! Choose from Genetic Genealogy\, Researching i
n Florida\, Forensic Genealogy and more!
A one-hour small-group conversation\, recorded to help share local voices as part of a national civic listening initiative \;Space is limited to 10 participants \;to keep the conversation intimate and welcoming.
\nThis isn't a debate or a town hall. It's a chance to s low down\, listen\, and be heard &mdash\; to share your story and hear fro m your neighbors in a setting built for genuine connection rather than con flict. Your voice will join thousands of others from communities across th e country\, helping paint a picture of what Americans are thinking and fee ling as we mark this milestone anniversary. \; Please note\, the conve rsation may be securely saved and added to the ACP public conversation\, w here it can be searched and listened to by others for learning and storyte lling\, in ways that respect your voice and your privacy. Participants can use a pseudonym and can request that any comments be redacted at any time .
\n\nAuditorium
\nImmigrant ancestors d idn&rsquo\;t always leave behind many records that hint at their exact pla ce of origin. This lecture focuses on some lesser-known and lesser-used re cord sets that may help take the research subjects across the pond. Many o f these record sets are also rich with genealogical details and can help c ontextualize and fill in our ancestors&rsquo\; lives here in the United St ates. Some of the record sets that will be covered include:
\nAbout the Presenter
\nRich Venezia found
ed Rich Roots Genealogy\, LLC in 2013. He was a member of the research tea
m of Genealogy Roadshow (PBS) for two seasons and is an expert in the rese
arch of 20th-century immigrant ancestors\, especially with underutilized r
ecord sources and federal records. He works with law firms and individuals
on complex U.S. derivative citizenship cases and specializes in Italian a
nd Irish research. Additionally\, he assists clients with dual citizenship
applications and is a proud Italian dual citizen. He lectures nationwide
and spoke at TEDx Pittsburgh 2017. He is also an award-winning records acc
ess advocate.
2nd Floor Stage
\nDid your Florida ancestors seem to disappear from one county on ly to appear decades later in another? Chances are they were following opp ortunity rather than leaving the state. Explore the forces that shaped mig ration within Florida&mdash\;from frontier settlement and railroad expansi on to citrus\, phosphate mining\, military growth\, and tourism&mdash\;and learn how those movements created valuable genealogical records. You'll l eave with a deeper understanding of Florida's migration patterns and pract ical techniques for predicting where your ancestors went next.
\nJulia A. Anderson is an Accredit
ed Genealogist®\; and Accredited Genealogist Lecturer&trade\; with expe
rtise in the United States Gulf South Region. She received a bachelor&rsqu
o\;s degree in history and university honors from Brigham Young University
in 1993 and a master&rsquo\;s degree in history and post-secondary educat
ion from Grand Canyon University in 2021. Julia is the manager of the U.S.
and Canada Research Team at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City\,
Utah\, \;teaches online genealogy research and accreditation classes f
or Salt Lake Community College\, and is the owner and managing member of A
nderson Genealogical Research\, LLC. She currently serves as a commissione
r on the board of ICAPGen and as the Conference Chair for the Utah Genealo
gical Association. Julia and her husband\, Scott\, live in Orem\, Utah. To
gether\, they have nine children and eleven grandchildren.
A discu ssion panel with professional genealogists Rich Venezia\, Kate Townsend\, CG ®\;\, Julia A. Anderson\, AG ®\; AGL &trade\;\, Tamara Hallo\, an d Lorrie Martin answering audience questions. Moderated by Dr. Ramona La R oche.
\nSubmit your questions Florida- and immigration-related genea logy questions for our speakers in advance to specialcollections@mdpls.org with the subject line &ldquo\;Ask a Genealogist - Tracing Roots in Florid a and Beyond&rdquo\; and the experts might answer your question during the session. Submissions close at 6:00 p.m. on July 31st\, 2026.
\nRamona La Roche\, Ph.D. examines Cultural Heritage Informatics through librarianship\, critical co mmunity archives\, genealogy\, and arts related to coastal Florida\, lowco untry SC\, Barbados\, Panama\, Caribbean Latin-American territories\, and West Africa. Rooted in Georgetown and Charleston\, South Carolina\, her wo rk as a Gullah Geechee Creative\, Cultural Heritage Informaticist\, geneal ogist\, and author underscores her dedication to storytelling and informat ion dissemination that honors global African and Caribbean American narrat ives.
\nHer digital humanities work includes virtual reality project s like the Harlem Renaissance virtual reality traveling exhibit a nd Threads: An Interactive Map Exploring Broward&rsquo\;s Black Histor y. During her tenure at the AARLCC\, she acquired the Love-Thornell v intage photographs (1\,300 images) and Alan Bell BLK LGBTQ magazine collec tions\, as well implemented an eight organizational member partnership wit h Florida International University&rsquo\;s Wolfsonian Public Humanities L ab. The Community Data Curation Project three-year grant was fund ed by Mellon Foundation.
\nA former Institute of Library and Mus eum Services (ILMS) Cultural Heritage Informatics Leadership (CHIL) Fellow recipient\, Dr. La Roche attended University of South Carolina&rsquo \;s School of Library and Information Science in Columbia\, SC. An accompl ished photographer and multimedia artist\, her published works include:
\nFree parking will be available in the&nb sp\;Miami-Dade Cultural Center Garage \;&ndash\; \;50 NW 2nd \ ;Ave. &ndash\; with ticket validation.
\nThe presentations will be r ecorded and posted for a limited time in our Digital Collections after the event!
\nThe Miami-Dade Public Library System&rsquo\;s S pecial Collections &\; Archives \;Division \;preserves and prov ides access to rare and historically significant materials for the public and scholarly community. Its diverse holdings include the Helen Muir Flori da Collection\, the 16mm Film Collection\, the Cuban Collection of Rare Bo oks &\; Ephemera\, the Genealogy Collection\, and rare and antiquarian books dating back to the 17th century. The Division also manages the \ ;Library&rsquo\;s Permanent Art Collection\, which features \;over 7\, 000 works displayed across \;library locations\, and The Vasari Projec t\, dedicated to documenting \;Miami-Dade County&rsquo\;s art history since 1945. Committed to accessibility\, it offers materials \;for vie wing and research both in person and online through the \;Digital Coll ection\, which includes more than 40 freely accessible collections\, \ ;featuring materials from the \;Library as well as contributions from outside collaborators and partner institutions. Spanning rare books\, manu scripts\, photographs\, prints\, paintings\, sculptures\, artifacts\, audi ovisual resources\, and electronic media\, these collections ensure that M iami-Dade \;County&rsquo\;s rich history\, artistic legacy\, \;and cultural heritage remain available to all.
\nhttps://mdpls.libnet.info /event/16925680 URL;VALUE=URI:https://mdpls.libnet.info/event/16925680 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/mdpls/old_photos_and_docum ents_1_.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR