Geneaology Topic of Next Writers Workshop

What: Arts Council Writers Workshop
When: Tuesday, April 20, 6-7:30 p.m.
Where: Center in the Square
Topic: Genealogy

Laura Wickstead (above), the Virginia Room librarian for Roanoke Public Libraries, will present a talk on genealogy for the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge’s April 20 Writers Workshop Series presentation.

The talk begins at 6 p.m. and is open to the public. There is no admission charge for Arts Council members. Non-members pay $5. Call Rhonda Hale at the Arts Council at 540-224-1205 or e-mail her at rhale@theartscoundil.org to reserve your spot.

Laura will talk about the use of tools of the family historian to research real people or to create fictional ones. Learn how to mine the resources of the internet, libraries, historical societies and archives for data to bring your writing to life and give your characters depth. It’s neither all on the Web nor on the shelf, she says. Unpublished personal papers including diaries, journals and letters and photographs are available for researchers willing to dig.

Learn how to find them and to locate vital records, census, court and military records, sources for African American ancestors and more.

Laura has a master's of Library Science degree and is a graduate of the Modern Archives Institute of the National Archives and Records Administration. She served as the executive director and Librarian/Archivist of the Crawford County (Pa.) Historical Society. She has been the Virginia Room Librarian for the Roanoke Public Libraries since 2004. Laura has worked in special research and archival collections for more than 10years.