Joondalup Libraries celebrated National Family History Month in style this August, with a series of engaging events that attracted strong community interest and showcased the expertise of the library's family history team and volunteers.
The month-long program featured workshops, presentations and pop-up help sessions designed to inspire both beginner and experienced family historians. Demand was high across the program, with almost every event reaching capacity and two sessions booking out completely.
The program commenced with a Family History Open Day, where attendees learned how to begin researching their family tree and explored the many resources available through the library service. Highlights included a fascinating presentation on the remarkable journey of Susanna Lallemont, tracing her story from conviction and shipwreck to a new life in Australia, and an introduction to digital family archives, which demonstrated innovative ways to preserve and share family stories for future generations.
Other popular sessions included Family History: Smash the Brick Walls, which helped researchers overcome common obstacles in their family history investigations, and Discovery Session: Put it in Print, which explored ways to transform years of research into a lasting family history publication.
A standout feature of this year's program was the introduction of Family History Help Pop-Ups at Whitford and Duncraig libraries. The free drop-in sessions proved highly successful, with staff engaging directly with patrons interested in tracing their family stories. Participants received personalised guidance on how to get started, assistance with navigating research tools and databases and recommendations for books and resources to support their investigations.
The value of the service was perhaps best illustrated by one enthusiastic patron who was so impressed with the support they received that they contacted local radio station 6PR to share their positive experience and highlight the quality of Joondalup Libraries' family history service.
The strong attendance figures and positive feedback received throughout National Family History Month reinforce the important role Joondalup Libraries plays in connecting people with their personal and community histories.