Like the overall “All About That Place” series, in this Pacific Edition, I’m sometimes not sure what the theme will be until the program begins. Today’s program sprouted from a desire to share knowledge and blossomed into a remarkable discussion of the potential of research libraries.
During the first portion of our program,
of Not Just Any Family, a highly skilled UK-based genealogist, shared her resources and strategies for exploring the vast records of the British East India Company in pursuit of records for a particular Great Uncle Bill.In the second half, Allison DePrey Singleton of the Allen County Indiana Public Library (ACPL) Genealogy Center shared the scale and scope of this extraordinary, world-class research gem. Excentricity, vision, and local support have made this possible in the second-largest city in the 17th most populous American state.
We were honored to have you both. Please see the notes and resources they’ve provided below.
Projectkin’s participation in the AATP24 series was designed to call attention to the role of place in our family stories. Internationally, the series is organized by the Society of Genealogists, the Society for One-Place Studies, the British Association for Local History, and Genealogy Stories and sponsored by dozens of companies and organizations.
This Recording
Following today’s presentation, this recording will be emailed to Projectkin members and posted to the following sites for discussion.
Please join us at the site most convenient to you, and support the program organizers by sharing links to your favorite discussions with others in the genealogy community.
Projectkin.org/AATP — includes all recordings from this series plus rich “show notes” with useful resource links, commenting, and chat.
All About That Place Facebook group (private, ask for access.)
Society of Genealogists’ YouTube playlist for All About That Place.
Our speakers have shared the following notes, contact information, and resources for your benefit.
Karen de Bruyne | “Found Great Uncle Bill in India, where next?”
Studying PG Dip Genealogy at Strathclyde Uni. AGRA associate. Areas: London, British India &wider diaspora (Malaya, Siam, Burma & Ceylon). Approved researcher The British Library– took a test!
You can reach Karen…
On Substack at
or via emailHer website at Not Just Any Family
On social media:
Allison DePrey Singleton | “Finding Family Locations with ACPL Genealogy Center”
Allison DePrey Singleton, MA, MLS, is the Genealogy Services Manager at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. She serves on the boards of the Indiana Genealogical Society and Indiana German Heritage Society.
To give you a sense of scale for the library, Allison included this fun video tour of the place.
But wait, there’s more she’s also included:
🎥 Playlist of 341 videos from The Genealogy Center, including these gems:
Making the Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne Your Research Assistant
Same Name More Than Once in the Same Location: How to Decipher Who Is Yours
Discovering Your Roots at The Genealogy Center
Ask the Experts: Planning a Research Visit
If These Walls Could Talk: How to Research Your Home
Exploring The Genealogy Center Website and Catalog
Welcome to the New, FREE, Periodical Source Index (PERSI)!
The Power of Story ACPL
PERSI Explorer Tracing Your Roots Using the Periodical Source Index
Finding Periodical Articles about Your Geographic Area of Interest Using PERSI
And finally, this structured view of family history research using the library collections with nifty tips to watch for…
You can reach Allison…
At the Allen County Indiana Public Library (ACPL) Genealogy Center
On the ACPL Facebook page
Via the ACPL YouTube Playlist for the Genealogy Center
All About That Place, Pacific Edition » Talks by Allison DePrey Singleton and Karen de Bruyne